


12 Days of Holtzbert

by holtzbabe, SwabbieJilly



Category: Ghostbusters (2016)
Genre: #whereisKevin2k16, Christmas, Don we now our super gay fanfics, Established Relationship, F/F, New Year's Eve, WHY WONT AO3 LET ME PUT FESTIVE IN ALL CAPS?, festive
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-01
Updated: 2017-01-02
Packaged: 2018-09-03 15:13:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 29,120
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8718712
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/holtzbabe/pseuds/holtzbabe, https://archiveofourown.org/users/SwabbieJilly/pseuds/SwabbieJilly
Summary: Deck the halls with fics of Holtzbert, fa la la la la la la la la!It's the Ghostbusters' first Christmas together, and Erin and Holtzmann's first Christmas as a couple. What festive shenanigans will they get into over the holiday season?





	1. Decorations

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone, holtzbabe here! :) Merry December 1st to you all! This holiday season, SwabbieJilly and I are bringing you good tidings of...Christmas themed Holtzbert fic. You have 12 (nonconsecutive) days of Holiday Holtzbert ahead of you: our gift to YOU!

It’s December 1st, but that’s not what’s on Erin’s mind right now. Right now, all she cares about is finding out what on earth was so important that her girlfriend had to stay at the lab all night.

She storms down the block towards the firehouse, muttering to herself and preparing what she’s going to say to Holtz when she gets there.

Then she happens to look up, and stops dead.

The building is covered—and she means _covered_ —in Christmas lights. Hundreds of them. Her first thought is that they’re going to look stunning when they’re lit up. Her second thought is _how?_

She blinks a few times and rubs her eyes, wondering if maybe the sleepless night worrying about Holtz is causing her to hallucinate. There’s no way that those could’ve all been hung overnight, right?

She walks the rest of the way to the firehouse and, with a bit of apprehension, pulls the door open.

Okay. Now she’s absolutely certain that she’s hallucinating.

There’s more lights. Everywhere. Wrapped around the beams, strung from the walls, on the containment unit, which…seems unsafe…

Hanging from the ceiling are hundreds of paper snowflakes, and…are those paper _ghosts_ , too?

“ERIN!”

Erin screams, jumps, and clutches her chest. “ _Holtzmann!_ You scared the crap out of me!”

Her girlfriend has appeared out of who knows where wearing a Santa hat and a massive grin. She darts to press a sloppy kiss on Erin’s cheek and steps back. “Iputafewdecorationsupdoyoulikethem?”

Erin strains to process Holtzmann’s run-on string of words. “A…a few? You consider this a few?”

“TheoutdoorlightstooklongerthanIthoughttheywouldandIalmostfellofftheroofwhichheldmeupsoIwould’vegotmoreputupsothat’sabitofabummer.”

Erin picked out maybe two words from that one. She scrutinizes Holtz, who appears to be vibrating with excitement. Erin’s never seen her _this_ keyed up.

“Uhhh.” Erin walks over to her desk to put her stuff down while she tries to come up with a response. As she’s walking, she hears a crunching noise.

She stops and looks down. She’s just stepped on what looks like a…

“Is that a candy cane wrapper?”

Something a few feet away catches her eye. Then she sweeps her gaze around the room. There are _dozens_ of similar wrappers on the floor. Slowly, she turns and looks at Holtz in horror.

“Ihadtostayawake,” her girlfriend says, bouncing on her heels.

So, not vibrating with excitement, then. More like an entire box of candy canes.

She strides back over and presses her palms down on Holtzmann’s shoulders to still her. “Have you been up all night?”

Holtz does a fantastic bobble-head impression. “Youstillhaven’ttoldmeifyoulikethem.”

“Can you try repeating that a bit slower? I didn’t catch what—”

“You still haven’t told me if you like the decorations.”

Erin is about to reply that it’s a lot when Holtz continues.

“I hope you’re not mad that I started decorating without you guys. I got too excited. This is a big year, you know? It’s our first Christmas together, and our first Christmas as a _couple_ , and I want it to be special. More than special. I want it to be perfect. I’m just too excited. Did I say that already? Sorry. I’m just really excited.”

Erin’s face softens. Her girlfriend’s enthusiasm is infectious. She slides her hands down to catch Holtzmann’s hands. “I love the decorations, Holtz. And I’m really, really excited about our first Christmas together too.” She leans in to kiss Holtz. Then she breaks away with a smile. “You taste like candy canes.”

“Mmm, minty fresh.” Holtz swings their clasped hands. “Want to come see the lab?”

“Wait, there’s _more?_ ”

Holtz winks.

“Well, you’d better show me now, because you’re going to sugar crash within the hour, and that’s not going to be a pretty sight,” Erin teases.

“Let’s GO!” Holtz shouts, and tugs Erin by the hand in the direction of the stairs, humming ‘It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas’ as she goes.

“How much power is this all going to use?” Erin wonders aloud.

“I’m glad you asked, babe! I’ve been cooking up this neat little alternative power source that could probably power half the city, and this seems like the perfect time to test it out, don’t you think?”

“You’re going to get arrested.”

“They wouldn’t arrest me at _Christmas_.”

Erin just shakes her head. Something tells her she’s in for quite the month.

 


	2. Skating

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SORRY FOR THE DELAY! Don't blame Maddie (holtzbabe), it was totally my fault (SwabbieJilly). I'm in the process of moving and everything is a bit of a mess right now. BUT i wrote this for you guys anyway.

“I can’t believe you’ve kept me blindfolded for this whole cab ride.” Erin can feel the vehicle slow and she rocks back when it comes to a complete stop.

“It’ll be worth it, I promise.”

“It’s been, like, forty minutes!”

“Well we’re here anyway, so hang tight.”

Erin hears Holtz pay the cab driver and wish him happy holidays. She also hears her whisper something to the man. She strains to listen, but it’s no use. She hears the door open and shut, and sits expectantly for a minute or two.

And then another minute.

Erin can feel herself start to sweat under the too-warm scarf covering half her face. “Holtz?” she asks shakily.

“Naw lady, my name is Steve,” the cab driver replies.

“Uh, Steve? Did you see where my gir-”

Suddenly the door swings open and Erin hears Holtz ask exuberantly and very close to her face: “Erin! Are you coming?”

Erin sputters a response, but Holtz is already pulling her out of the cab. “You know I’m still blindfolded, right?” She’s clinging to Holtz’s arm too tightly and Holtz leads them both away. She hears a lot of people and Christmas music blasting distantly over commercial speakers.

There’s no response. Holtz doesn’t seem to be listening to her. She tries again, feeling very vulnerable walking across a slippery surface, blindfolded, in an anonymous area of New York City. “Just be careful okay? It was really icy earlier today, and I’ve only got these insulated rubber-boots on—”

She’s interrupted when she collides with Holtzmann who apparently stopped walking at some point. She squeaks in surprise by the contact, and Holtz is still annoyingly silent.

“Holtzmann?” Erin asks a little impatiently.

“Oh right!” Holtz starts pulling at the scarf while muttering apologies. “I got a little distracted.”

When the scarf is off of her face, Erin understands. Towering magnificently over a sea of people is the iconic Rockefeller Center Christmas tree glittering in all its glory.

“Wow.” Erin gapes. “I’ve never seen it this close before.”

“Me either!” Holtz agrees. “That’s not all though!” She grabs Erin’s hand and starts running toward the skating rink admission booth. Erin is slipping a little on the ground trying to catch up with her, and she hopes that Holtz knows where she’s going; Erin can’t bring herself to look away from the tree.

Holtz leads them to the VIP line and talks to the ticket master. Erin’s only half listening. She’s astonished by the line of patrons taking up an entire block waiting to get in. She’s also still processing exactly what is happening.

After a minute or two, Holtz pulls her along again.

“Wait a minute, aren’t tickets like, $250 a piece for this? Tell me you didn’t spend that much.”

Holtz snorts in response. “God no! I talked to my lady Ingrid at the mayor’s office. She was able to get us in no problem.”

Holtz finally stops for a minute and turns to Erin for the first time that night. Erin’s a little distracted by how rosy Holtz’s cheeks are, and how the lights from the decorations shimmer in the yellow goggles that sit on her head.

“Have you really never been here before?” Holtz asks.

“No. Have you?”

“Maybe once or twice when I was a kid, but never before Christmas, and definitely not at night! This is pretty cool, right?”

“It’s amazing! Thank you, Holtz,” she replies, kissing Holtz's cheek for good measure.

Holtz’s smile shines brighter than the Christmas lights.

They make their way over to the rental booth and order their skates. Erin gets figure skates, and Holtz gets hockey skates.

“I'm not even a little coordinated enough for that ice dancing, jagged tipped nonsense,” Holtz argues, gesturing vaguely at Erin’s skates. Erin just laughs and walks over to some benches to get ready.

She has both of her skates laced up in a minute, and stands over Holtz as she struggles with the laces. After about four minutes of this, Holtz has them tied low and loose. Erin can see the way the tall backs gape around her calves.

“Ready!” Holtz announces proudly.

Erin almost laughs. “Ready for blisters you mean?”

Holtz replies with a tilt of her head and a curious grin. “What?”

“Holtz, seriously? Your skates are way too loose!”

“They are?” Holtz answers, trying to stand on one foot to closer examine the other. Erin catches her by the elbow right before she falls.

“You’ve been skating before, right?”

“Maybe once or twice when I was a kid, but never before Christmas, and definitely not at night!” Holtz repeats.

Erin rolls her eyes and bites back a grin. She pushes Holtz back down to the bench and crouches down in front of her.

“Here, let me do it.”

She starts at the bottom and pulls the laces tight one row at a time. Holtz makes a few mumbles of protest, but otherwise tolerates it. Erin marvels at the lack of comments about bondage and/or safety knots.

When she’s done, Erin helps Holtz to her feet and the two waddle over to the ice. Erin glides on without too much effort, and turns swiftly to watch Holtzmann. She looks very unsure and her knees are shaking a little. A small crowd starts to gather behind her as she blocks the entrance.

“Uhh, Erin?”

Erin skates over immediately to help her girlfriend. Taking her by the hand she leads her out to the ice. The two stay very close to the wall as Holtz tries to shuffle her feet around like she’s walking. Erin bites her tongue and does her best not to nag. She keeps her hands on Holtz to steady her and watches the movement of her own feet.

“Say what you’re thinking.”

“I’m thinking this was a great activity to do for Christmas!”

“Erin.”

“Okay, well maybe you should try taking longer strides. It will make everything easier. You’re just going to tire yourself out like that.”

Holtz flashes a lopsided grin. “How do you know how to skate so well?”

“I grew up in _Michigan_ Holtz. Every field trip was to a hockey rink, and the free skates on Saturdays were basically the only thing to do in winter.”

“Plus you took lessons.”

“Well, if I was going to have to skate so much for school, I may as well have practiced for it. I wasn’t going to let an easy A slip through my fingers.”

Holtz grins wildly. “Of _course_ not!”

As per Erin’s instructions, Holtz lengthens her strides, and Erin eventually feels confident enough to let her go on her own. Holtz falls about three or four times, and cracks herself up each time she does. She insists on sitting a few laps out just to watch Erin. She says she's just slowing her down.

Erin is a little relieved to have the freedom, but after a lap or two she starts to miss the company. She convinces Holtz to come out again for the last few laps, and they both decide to call it quits when Holtz falls down so roughly she pulls Erin down, too. They just lay in the middle of the rink and laugh for a minute or two, but an attendant starts to glare at them, so they fumble off the ice in search of hot chocolate and cookies.

“ ****_God_ does it every feel good to get skates off my feet!” Holtz declares, and she starts pulling her socks off, too.

“Stop that! It’s 20 degrees out! Your toes will freeze.”

Holtz keeps tugging anyway.

“ _Holtzmann!”_

“Alright alright.” The blonde abandons her efforts to expel her socks, and sips her hot chocolate. “So, what holiday festivity will we be doing next?”

“Huh? I thought you were planning them.”

“I mean I can, but I’ve already done _two_ **_._ ** Don’t you think it’s fair if you planned what we do next?”

“Really?”

“Sure! I know how much you love planning things!” Holtz nudges Erin with her elbow. Erin just grins in response. She already has half a dozen things in mind, but right now she’s happy just to sip her drink, enjoy the music, and watch the way Holtz’s hair curls under her ridiculous second-hand ushanka.

“I might have a few ideas…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have never been to New York, let alone 30 Rockefeller in peak holiday season, but i did what i could! If there is anything glaringly wrong about the description and atmosphere, please let me know! It's the only way i'll learn!!!


	3. Cookies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jillian: *apologizes profusely for taking three days to post her chapter*  
> Me: *takes a week to post mine*
> 
> I dunno what to say, guys. The end of the semester is kickin' my butt! Hope this is worth the wait!

Holtz is tapping out the rhythm of ‘Jingle Bells’ on the edge of her workbench when Erin comes and leans up against it. She’s holding two mugs and sets one down, then takes a long sip from her own.

Holtz peers into the mug. “Hot chocolate? You’re the best.”

“Two packets. Don’t know how you can drink it like that. Oh, and there are chocolate chips melting in the bottom, just the way you like it.”

“Niiiice.” Holtz grabs the spoon sticking out of the mug and scoops out some melty goodness.

“Thought you might need a pick-me-up.”

“Whaaiooouhouu?” Holtz says around the spoon sticking straight out of her mouth.

“Sorry?”

Holtz pulls the spoon out and deposits it back into the mug. “What did I do to deserve you?” she repeats.

Erin hums and takes another sip from her own mug. “So, I’ve come up with the next holiday activity for us to do.”

“Oh yeah?”

“My apartment. Tonight. Be there or be…here, I guess.” Erin frowns. “I promise, what I have planned is going to be more exciting than work, so you should leave here at a reasonable time.”

Holtz lifts an eyebrow. “Dr. Gilbert, are you implying what I think you’re implying?”

Erin squints. “What do you think I’m implying?”

“Sex,” Holtz clarifies. “Holiday sex.”

“What’s the difference between h—never mind, I don’t want to know right now. No, that’s not what I was implying. I have an _actual_ festive activity planned. It’s a surprise, though.”

“I am 100% intrigued. Can’t wait to see what you’ve got cookin’ up.” Holtz grins.

“I can’t wait to show you.” Erin leans down and kisses the top of Holtz’s head. “I’m gonna head back downstairs and let you get back to work. Make me something cool.”

“On it!” Holtz chirps. Erin takes off, squeezing her shoulder on the way by. Holtz chugs down half her hot chocolate, cracks her knuckles, and grabs a blowtorch.

She keeps an eye on the clock for the rest of the day and makes a point of finishing up just before 5:00. She flies down the firepole to catch Erin before she leaves.

“Wow, you must be really interested to see what I’ve got planned,” Erin says. “You never finish this early.”

“That’s what she said.” Holtz smirks and pulls her coat on.

Erin sighs.

Holtz stands on her tiptoes to kiss Erin’s cheek. “But yes. I’m very excited.”

“Well, I hope I don’t disappoint.”

Across the room, Patty claps her hands together. “THAT’S WHAT SHE SAID! Hah! Did I do it right, Holtzy?”

Abby starts laughing and so does Holtz. She mimes high-fiving Patty across the room. “Good one!”

Erin sighs louder and walks away. She pauses with her hand on the door and cocks her head at Holtz. “Are you coming?”

“THAT’S WHAT SHE SAID,” the three of them shout simultaneously.

Erin stares at them for a second, then pulls open the door and leaves. Holtz skips after her with glee. “Bye guys! See ya tomorrow.”

Outside, she has to jog a bit to catch up to Erin. She falls into step beside her and slides her bare hand into Erin’s gloved one. Holtz hasn’t needed to wear gloves for years—her hands have been through so much that they can withstand anything.

“So, you gonna tell me what we’re doing?” Holtz says, swinging their clasped hands.

“I said, it’s a surprise! You’ll see when we get to my place.” Erin pauses. “Well, sort of. I didn’t anticipate you leaving at the same time as me, so I’m going to need you to distract yourself while I set up everything.”

That is how Holtz ends up sprawled on Erin’s couch flicking past Christmas movies on TV while Erin bustles around over by the kitchen.

“Ooh! Olive the Other Reindeer!” Holtz stops changing channels and sets down the remote. “I love this one! You seen it?”

“What’s it about?”

“A little dog named Olive who travels to the North Pole to help pull Santa’s sleigh. Lots of musical numbers. A nasty postman. A penguin named Martini who sells counterfeit watches.”

“Doesn’t sound familiar.”

“It’s a good one. Hey, it’s still in the opening credits! I’m going to record it so we can watch it later.” Holtz hits record and switches the channel so she won’t see any more of it.

“I’m done setting up now,” Erin announces.

Holtz shuts off the TV and leaps up. She strides over to Erin and takes in the scene in the kitchen. There’s a huge ball of beige cookie dough wrapped in Saran Wrap, an open Tupperware container of metal cookie cutters, a rolling pin, and Erin clenching her fingers nervously.

“I thought,” she says, “maybe we could make and decorate sugar cookies? If you want? I already made the dough because it needed to chill, and that’s the boring part anyway. Um, this is…it’s something I do every year, kind of a tradition, and I thought maybe we could do it together. But now that I’m standing here, I’m realizing that this isn’t as exciting as I made it out to be, and skating was so much cooler, and I—”

“Erin,” Holtz interjects, “I’d _love_ to make sugar cookies. I can’t super guarantee that I won’t eat most of the dough and/or cookies before we decorate them, but that’s a risk I’m willing to take. Especially if it’s a tradition. I’m honoured that you want to include me in your holiday traditions.”

“Really?”

“Hell yeah. I don’t really have any traditions of my own, so I think that’s really cool.”

“You don’t have any traditions? At all?”

Holtz shrugs. “Not really. Abby and I used to order Chinese on Christmas Eve, but…well, you know. That’s the same as most nights, so it’s not very special.”

Erin frowns as she takes in that information. “Well, every family needs holiday traditions, so why don’t we work on making some? Together?”

Holtz can’t help a grin from spreading across her face. “I like the sound of that.”

They set to work rolling out the cookie dough. Erin digs through the tub of cookie cutters and takes out a snowflake. She starts stamping them in a neat, straight line up the side.

Holtz, on the other hand, grabs the first one her hands touch and shoves it down into the dough. Then she swaps it out for another one. Then another one.

“Holtz, that’s an Easter cookie cutter. Are you even looking at them before you use them?”

“Nope,” Holtz replies cheerfully. “It’s more fun this way. Besides, this could be a…slightly oblong ornament. You don’t know its life.”

“It’s an egg.”

“You’re an egg.”

“Hey, that’s a Halloween one. Put that back.”

Holtz grins and holds up the one she’s just picked up. “Come on, you don’t want to make little festive ghosties?”

“Those aren’t Christmas appropriate!”

“ _Erin._ We’re _Ghostbusters._ Ghosts are always appropriate.” To prove her point, she stamps down the ghost twice.

Erin bites her lip. “Okay.” She reaches over and steals the ghost, then, after a pause, cuts one out a few inches from her nice line.

“Hey, now you’re really getting into the Christmas _spirit_.”

“I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that. Come on, let’s hurry this up so we can get the first batch in the oven.”

They finish cutting out as many as they can from the dough and get some into the preheated oven. They prepare another tray and then re-roll out the dough to cut more.

Holtz goes to get a butter knife. Erin stares at her. “What are you up to?”

“I have some very important shapes to make, and you don’t have cookie cutters for them. If you happen to have a blow torch and a pair of pliers around and wouldn’t mind parting with one of the ones you have, I could re-fashion it into what I’m thinking of—”

“No.”

“—but using a knife is probably easier.”

“If you cut out any genitalia, we’re breaking up.”

Holtz curls her arm protectively around the dough so Erin can’t see what she’s cutting. She only reveals them when she transfers them onto the tray. She’s cut out an E, an H, and a heart.

She watches as Erin’s face turns a little pink. “Aw, Holtz.” A pause. “You know I have a heart-shaped cookie cutter, right?”

They use up the remaining dough. While the last batch is baking, they whip up some icing.

“Can we dye it purple?”

“Purple is not—”

“A Christmas colour, I know, but it is a _cool_ colour.”

Erin stares for a moment, then grabs a small bowl and spoons a small amount in. “You can dye this purple. That’s all. For your Easter egg.”

“Elongated ornament.”

“Sure, Holtz.”

The rest of the icing is divided into bowls and dyed. By the time they get through the process, most of the cookies have cooled enough. They sit at the counter with the bowls of icing between them and get to work.

Years of engineering experience has gifted Holtz with steady hands, so she uses that to her advantage with a piping bag.

Erin peers over. “That’s some intricate piping you’ve got going on.”

“I do have _some_ finesse. Who do you take me for?” Holtz picks up her next cookie and smears on a solid quarter inch of icing with a smirk.

“You’d better be planning on taking half of that off.”

“Or what?”

“Or…” Erin looks around her, like she’s searching for a threat. “Or I’ll do this.” She sticks a finger in the bowl of green and wipes a gob of the icing on Holtz’s cheek before she can even blink.

“Oh, you’re going to get it, Gilbert.” Holtz takes the piping bag and squeezes it at Erin, and a stream of icing lands all over her sweater and lap.

Erin yelps and grabs another scoop of frosting with her fingers, then smears it on Holtz’s arm. They keep at this, giggling, until Holtz has exhausted all the icing in the bag and Erin’s fingers are a mess of different colours.

Holtz grabs an un-iced cookie and scrapes some of the icing on her cheek off. “Waste not, want not,” she says with a wink as she takes a large bite.

Erin looks down at the mess on her clothes, then back up at Holtz. “Maybe we should finish these up tomorrow. I think we’re going to need another batch of icing.”

“I think you might be right.”

“Why don’t we go get cleaned up, then we can watch that movie you were talking about?”

Holtz punches the air. “Yeah!”

In Erin’s bathroom, they wash as much of the icing off as they can and get changed—Erin into a set of matching pajamas and Holtz into a pair of sweatpants she had lying around and an old t-shirt of Erin’s that she claimed a long time ago. That’s about all she has for clothes at Erin’s apartment. Neither of them spend much time there—not since Holtz asked Erin to move in with her a few months prior. Most of Erin’s stuff is already at Holtz’s apartment and they spend most nights there, but Erin hasn’t _officially_ moved in yet. She’s waiting out her lease, which, coincidentally, is finally up at the end of December. Holtz can’t wait.

Erin throws their dirty clothes into the laundry while Holtz gets the movie ready. A few minutes later, Erin plops down on the couch beside her holding two cookies and snuggles into her side. Holtz pulls a blanket over the two of them.

“Ready?” she says with her thumb on the remote.

Erin nods. Holtz pushes play and nestles her head into the crook of Erin’s neck.

As the movie starts, Erin passes her one of the cookies.

“Can we do this next year too?” Holtz asks.

“That’s what a tradition is, Holtz.”

Holtz grins and clinks her cookie against Erin’s. “To tradition, then.”

“To tradition,” Erin echoes with a smile.

“Now shush. We’re already missing a musical number.”

 


	4. Eggnog

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I imagine everyone is reading "if the fates allow"? it's beautiful. it's fantastic. it's soul crushing. HERE'S SOME FLUFF FOR YOU!

The next Christmas event is planned by neither Holtz or Erin. It starts with Patty winning a radio contest and receiving two forties of spiced rum, six shot glasses, and a free t-shirt that Holtz claims immediately.

“It’s two weeks until Christmas, ladies. I’m heading upstate on Wednesday, so I say we get smashed. Tonight.”

Everyone is totally on board, especially Holtz. While Patty, Erin, and Abby set up some tables and chairs, Holtz disappears for three and half hours. When she returns she has two quarts of eggnog, some spices and cinnamon sticks, an arm full of snacks, and a few board games.

At around 6PM it starts. Against everyone’s better judgement they start drinking before their Thai delivery arrives. Patty shows everyone how to spice the rim of their glass, and mixes the first drink for everyone. She expertly combines the rum with some cognac she keeps tucked away in one of the cupboards apparently.

Erin can feel the liquor go straight to her head after just half a glass and wonders in passing the last time it was that she ate something.

When Holtz finishes her drink in minutes and runs over to Patty another, Erin starts to worry a little.

“Aw hell no, Patty’s got her drank and her fuzzy slippers,” she protests as she sinks into the couch. “Y’all can get your own now.”

“Okay!” Holtz replies enthusiastically. She rushes over to the makeshift bar on the kitchen counter and pours a haphazard amount of rum into her glass, sloshing a little over the side. Then the cognac in an equally unmeasured share. She only adds a splash of eggnog for flavour and mixes everything together to an alarmingly translucent solution with a cinnamon stick.

“Uh, Holtzmann?” Erin asks, sidling over to the counter where Holtz stands.

“Yeah?”

“You’re not worried that your drink is too strong, are you?”

Holtz holds her glass over her head and inspects its contents theatrically.

“Uhh, nope! Anyway, it’s Christmas; aren’t you supposed to get tanked as often as possible? I’ve never been one to waste a lot of time.” She pauses to wink at Erin. “It can be a new tradition!”

Erin feels a smile tug at the corner of her mouth.

“You make a great point.” She shrugs and throws back the rest of her drink, only wincing a little bit as it tingles down her throat.

“Yeah Erin!” Holtz cheers. She drops her tone to an overly formal one. “Shall I make you another, _Mademoiselle_?”

Erin can already feel the tips of her fingers tingle and her muscles relax with the warmth of the alcohol. She’s always been a bit of a lightweight. “Sure! I’ll have it just the way you’re having it.”

“Ahh,” Holtz replies, sloshing amber liquid liberally, “I like a woman who knows what she wants.”

Erin starts to giggle. And then she keeps giggling. Gosh she’s such a lightweight.

“Food’s here!” Abby announces moments later, walking into the common area with an armful of take-out bags. Erin and Holtz rush in after, laughing as they try not to spill their overflowing glasses.

Abby plops the bags on the nearby coffee table and eyes the red-faced and giggling couple as they huddle together unduly on a single arm chair.

“Are you two on your second drinks already?”

Holtz downs half of her drink to prove a point and sighs loudly. “Soon to be thirds, Abigail!”

Erin just laughs uselessly. Her drink is half gone too.

“Wow, okay.” Abby makes a show of taking a generous pull of eggnog. When she’s done, she holds her glass out and points to Erin with her index finger. “I hope you know what you got yourself into with Dr. Gilbert there, Holtzy. She’s the worst lightweight I’ve ever met.”

Holtz gasps dramatically and wraps her arm protectively around Erin. “No way! _My_ Erin? A lightweight? Impossible!”

Erin sticks her tongue out at Abby before dissolving into giggles once more.

The take-out is gone before too long, and they decide to start the games with _Clue_ while everyone is still sober enough to pay attention.

Holtz and Patty fight over Miss Scarlet while Erin snatches up Mrs. Peacock. Abby is happy with Professor Plum, and when Patty wins out Scarlet (“If y’all are getting trashed on my liquor, I should at least get first choice in _Clue_.” Holtz was in no position to argue; she just started her fourth drink), Holtz happily resigns with Colonel Mustard (“We both like yellow. We both score with the hot chicks 110% of the time.” Erin rewards that comment with a nice little swat to Holtz’s bicep).

They get through one full round, but halfway through round two, Holtz starts yelling out accusations at random with no evidence.

“Alright!” Abby announces, annoyance pinching her words to a slightly higher decibel, “I think it’s time for _Jenga_. Don’t you think it’s time for _Jenga_?” Then she’s collecting the pieces before anyone answers.

Holtz is normally very good at _Jenga_ , but she’s five and a half drinks in now. Patty and Abby call it quits and move to another area of the common room after Holtz and Erin crash their sixth tower.

The two stay on the couch and lazily build towers with the blocks. The locations become increasingly creative with structures balanced on the couch armrests, the backrest, and finally on each other’s bodies too.

Erin is laying on her back with Holtz straddling her waist and watches the tower her girlfriend builds on her diaphragm rise and fall with each breath. Holtz has sobered up a bit and is biting her tongue in concentration. Her eyes are intense and focused and Erin can’t believe how lucky she is.

Without warning, the tower topples and some of the block crash into Erin’s face.

“Ow!” She says bolting up and giggling, clutching her nose.

“No! Not your beautiful nose! Are you okay? Are you bleeding?” Holtz is mostly kidding, but her hands are tugging at Erin’s to get a closer look, and she’s ducking her head low to inspect.

“I’m fine Holtz, really!” she manages through her giggles. “Good thing I’m drunk or else this might’ve really hurt.”

Holtz's eyes are soft, and Erin can see a little bit of her concern evaporate. “Want me to kiss it better?”

Erin smirks. She has a plan. She nods her head yes, and when Holtz leans in toward her nose, Erin tilts her chin up and meets the kiss with her lips.

She can feel Holtz freeze briefly in surprise, but half a second later she relaxes into the kiss. Her fingers tangle up in Erin’s hair, and Erin hooks a finger under Holtz’s chin to urge her closer.

Then something hits her with a plop and crinkle. Then another. The two break apart and see that two candy canes have found their way into their laps when a third collides with Holtz’s cheek.

“Uh excuse us, but did y’all forget we were here?” Patty says, accusing more than asking while twirling a candy cane around her finger, implying a fourth assault was imminent.

Holtz and Erin exchange a guilty look and then turn back to their friends.

“Um, yup.” Holtz answers simply. “Sorry guys.”

Abby just rolls her eyes with a grin and stands up from her spot at the table she and Patty were sitting at. “Whatever guys. Just keep it PG if you’re gonna crash on the couch tonight.” She turns to her friend who appears to be calculating the perfect trajectory for maximum damage with her mint-flavoured missile. “Want to split a cab, Patty?”

“Sure baby.” Patty stands up, tosses the last candy cane at the two of them, then leaves laughing with Abby.

Erin and Holtz are laughing too. They look at each other and Erin sighs.

“Tomorrow’s gonna suck, isn’t it?”

“Oh yeah. Most definitely.”

“Are we really sleeping on the couch?”

“I don’t see why not,” Holtz answers with a shrug.

Pause.

“Are we really going to keep it PG?” Erin asks with a sly grin, acutely aware that Holtzmann is still straddling her.

Holtz’s whole face lights up. “What Patty and Abby don’t know….” She leans in to reclaim Erin’s lips. Erin just smiles into the kiss. She can always just blame it on the eggnog tomorrow.


	5. Carols

Erin wakes up the morning after their drunken eggnog party with a raging headache and a pillow clutched in her arms in place of her girlfriend. She blinks into the too-bright light of the firehouse.

“Morning, sunshine,” Abby says from her desk.

“Where’s Holtz?” Erin’s voice is croaky from sleep.

“Lab.” A pause. “You’re aware that you’re not wearing pants, right?”

Erin blushes. “Eggnog made me do it.”

“I _specifically_ told you guys—”

“The instructions were unclear.”

“You weren’t _that_ drunk, Erin!”

“I was pretty drunk,” Erin mumbles. “Have you seen my pants?”

“If you didn’t want to lose them, maybe you shouldn’t have taken them off, that’s all I’m saying.”

“ _Abby_. It’s Christmas. Please?”

Abby is clearly smothering a laugh. “Try the freezer.”

“I’m going to kill you.”

“It was your girlfriend’s idea.”

Erin tugs her sweater down as she heads towards the kitchen. “No, it wasn’t. Nice try! She doesn’t prank me anymore.”

“You keep telling yourself that.”

She removes her pants from the freezer and leaves them on the counter to warm up, then heads to her locker to grab the stash of clean clothes there in case of ectoplasm emergencies. After she gets changed, she pours herself a cup of coffee and tries to will away her hangover. She goes to say good morning to Holtz briefly, then settles down at her desk for a quiet day of work.

It’s about 11:00am when it starts.

The music is quiet at first, but it usually is.

_“On the 1 st day of Christmas, my true love gave to me a partridge in a pear tree.”_

Erin groans quietly.

_“On the 2 nd day of Christmas, my true love gave to me two turtle doves and a partridge in a pear tree.”_

At this point, Holtz has started singing along and the music has turned up just a smidge.

“Why _this_ song?” Patty says without looking up from her book.

_“On the 3 rd day of Christmas, my true love gave to me three French hens, two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree.”_

The music gets louder still. Erin rubs her temples.

_“On the 4 th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree.”_

“Mr. True Love needs to realize that not everyone wants a hundred birds for Christmas,” Abby says.

“ _On the 5 th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me FIVE GOLDEN RINGS…four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree._”

“Why do you assume it’s a Mr. True Love?” Erin asks.

“You think a woman would come up with a present that stupid?”

“ _On the 6 th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me six geese-a-laying, FIVE GOLDEN RINGS…four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree.”_

At this point, the music is loud enough that they have to talk above normal conversational volume.

“Shoulda stuck with the jewelry, man.”

“See, and the geese are all a-laying, which means there’s gonna be _baby birds_ too. Imagine.” Abby shakes her head.

Erin squeezes her eyes shut.

“ _ON THE 7 TH DAY OF CHRISTMAS MY TRUE LOVE GAVE TO ME SEVEN SWANS-A-SWIMMING, SIX GEESE-A-LAYING, FIIIIVE GOLDEEEN RIIIINGS…FOUR CALLING BIRDS, THREE FRENCH HENS, TWO TURTLE DOVES, AND A PARTRIDGE IN A PEAR TREE.”_

“Erin, make her stop.”

“What makes you think _I_ can make her stop?”

“She’s _your_ girlfriend!”

“ _ON THE 8 TH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, MY TRUE LOVE GAVE TO ME EIGHT MAIDS-A-MILKING, SEVEN SWANS-A-SWIMMING, SIX GEESE-A-LAYING, FIIIIVE GOLDEN RIIIIIIIIINGS…FOUR CALLING BIRDS, THREE FRENCH HENS, TWO TURTLE DOVES, AND A PARTRIDGE IN A PEAR TREE.”_

“YOU CAN’T GIVE HUMANS AS GIFTS,” Patty shouts.

Abby is holding her head in her hands. “Make it stop.”

“Okay, you don’t get to complain, because there’s no way you have a hangover like I do right now.”

“ _ON THE 9 TH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, MY TRUE LOVE GAVE TO ME NINE LADIES DANCING, EIGHT MAIDS-A-MILKING, SEVEN SWANS-A-SWIMMING—_”

“HOLTZ,” Erin shouts.

_“—SIX GEESE-A-LAYING, FIIIIVE GOOOOLDEN RIIIIIIIIINGS…FOUR CALLING BIRDS, THREE FRENCH HENS, TWO TURTLE DOVES, AND A PARTRIDGE IN A PEAR TREEEEEEEE!”_

“HEY, SUZIE-SINGS-A-LOT,” Abby calls, “I HOPE ONE OF THOSE GOLDEN RINGS IS FOR YOUR GIRLFRIEND, BECAUSE YOU’RE LOSIN’ HER. BETTER LOCK HER DOWN FAST.”

Erin throws a pen at Abby’s head and blushes.

“ _ON THE 10 TH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, MY TRUE LOVE GAVE TO ME TEN LORDS-A-LEAPING, NINE LADIES DANCING, EIGHT MAIDS-A-MILKING, SEVEN SWANS-A-SWIMMING, SIX GEESE-A-LAYING, FIIIIIIVE GOOOOLDEEEN RIIIIIIIIINGS…FOUR CALLING BIRDS, THREE FRENCH HENS, TWO TURTLE DOVES, AND A PARTRIDGE IN A PEAR TREEEEEEEE!”_

“Lord have mercy. HOW LONG IS THIS SONG?” Patty gets up and strides over to the bottom of the stairs. “HOLTZY.”

“See, but the real question is: Does Mr. True Love give all these things every day in addition to what came before? Or does he only give the new items? Erin, help me out on the math on this.”

“ _ON THE 11 TH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, MY TRUE LOVE GAVE TO ME ELEVEN PIPERS PIPING, TEN LORDS-A-LEAPING, NINE LADIES DANCING, EIGHT MAIDS-A-MILKING, SEVEN SWANS-A-SWIMMING, SIX GEESE-A-LAYING, FIIIVE GOOOOLDEN RIIIIIIIIINGS…FOUR CALLING BIRDS, THREE FRENCH HENS, TWO TURTLE DOVES, AND A PARTRIDGE IN A PEAR TREEEE!”_

Erin pinches the bridge of her nose. “There’s only one more verse, guys.”

“ _ON THE 12 TH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, MY TRUE LOVE GAVE TO ME TWELVE DRUMMERS DRUMMING, ELEVEN PIPERS PIPING, TEN LORDS-A-LEAPING—”_

“Erin, come on, are you making any headway on those numbers?”

_“—NINE LADIES DANCING, EIGHT MAIDS-A-MILKING—”_

“Really, Abby?”

_“—SEVEN SWANS-A-SWIMMING, SIX GEESE-A-LAYING—”_

“Humour me. How many total gifts, if each day he gave _everything_ listed, not just the new item?”

_“FIIIIIIIIIIIIIVE GOOOOLDEEEEEEN RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINGS.”_

“Three hundred and sixty four. Three hundred and sixty four gifts.”

_“FOUR CALLING BIRDS—”_

“How many birds in total?”

_“—THREE FRENCH HENS, TWO TURTLE DOVES—”_

“One hundred and eighty four. Not including potential babies from the geese.”

_“—AND A PAAAARTRIDGE IN A PEAR TREEEEEEEEEE!”_

Patty lets out a whistle. “That’s a lotta birds.”

“That’s what I’ve been _saying_!” Abby throws her hands up.

Erin points at the ceiling. “The song is over.”

“Thank baby Jesus. I was one maid-a-milking away from going up there and taking one of her lead pipes to the damn stereo.”

“I forgot what quiet sounds like,” Erin murmurs.

Less than two seconds later, a new song starts.

“Oh my God. _Erin_. _Do something._ ”

“Why do I have to go? You have legs!”

“I repeat: She’s _your_ girlfriend.”

“You’ve known her longer!”

Abby points at the stairs.

“Patty? Please? I have a massive headache already,” Erin pleads.

Patty lifts an eyebrow. “That’s your own damn fault. I didn’t ask y’all to drink all my liquor. You owe me. Go.”

With a resigning sigh that the others probably can’t hear over the music anyway, Erin stands from her desk and trudges upstairs. Up in the lab, the music is ear-splitting, and Erin is reminded just how much soundproofing Holtz has already installed.

She takes in the sight in front of her. Holtz is leaping and spinning around the lab pretending that the proton wand from the pack strapped to her back is a guitar and wailing along to that really intense sounding Christmas song that Erin always forgets the name of (the one that sounds like Christmas on steroids). Bells, something?

“HOLTZ,” she shouts.

Her girlfriend doesn’t seem to notice or hear her.

Erin tries again. Finally, she marches over to the stereo and shuts it off.

“DA NA NA NA, DA Na..na…oh.” Holtz looks surprised to see her. A little embarrassed-looking, she holsters the wand. “What’s up, buttercup?”

Erin chooses her words carefully. “While I really…appreciate…your festive spirit…I think the music might be a little loud.”

“Whaaaat?”

“I appreciate a good Christmas carol as much as the next person, but I also have a pretty bad headache. So…”

Holtz winces. “Ah, shit. From the music?”

Erin frowns. “No, from the…aren’t you hungover?”

“Holtzmanns don’t get hangovers,” Holtz scoffs.

“That…explains some things.”

“I’m sorry about the music, though. I thought you guys were just joking around about turning it off.”

“Wait, you could hear us?”

“Oh yeah. Holtzmanns have supersonic hearing.”

“Somehow I doubt that’s true.”

“Wouldn’t you like to know. Don’t worry, if I _did_ have supersonic hearing, I would only use it to listen for the sound of reindeer hooves on the roof. And to find out what people _really_ want for Christmas.”

Holtz stares with a half-smirk for a few moments, then winks in a very deliberate way.

Erin clues in. “Wait, Abby was kidding about...the five…uh. You know that, right? She didn’t…I mean I don’t…I mean…”

“Relax, sugarplum, I’m joking…I don’t _really_ have supersonic hearing.”

“Oh.”

“I just have regular old great hearing. By the way, a hundred and eighty four birds is a _lot_ of birds to be given in a span of less than two weeks. I’ve never thought about that before. Now I know what _not_ to give my true love for Christmas.”

“I think maybe…nothing from that song should ever be given as gifts.”

“What, you don’t want ten lords-a-leaping under the Christmas tree this year?”

Erin laughs and gives her girlfriend a playful shove. “I’ll let you get back to work. Try to keep the music choices away from the loud or irritating songs, okay?”

Holtz shoots finger guns. “On it.”

Erin smiles and pats her arm, then heads back downstairs.

She gets halfway down when that godforsaken Chipmunks Christmas song starts playing. She can feel a vein in her forehead pulsing.

“Seriously?” she mutters under her breath.

“SORRY, ERIN,” Holtz hollers over the music. “HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT NEIL DIAMOND?”

The opening chords of the Jewish superstar's lively rendition of 'Joy to the World' cut in. Holtz begins singing along, and Erin can't help but laugh at the ridiculousness of it all.

“I tried,” she says when she reaches the bottom of the stairs.

“Poorly,” Abby replies.

“Let her have her fun,” Erin says with a smile. “It’s Christmas.”

 

 


	6. Sledding

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Maddie: Jillian, you realize how close it is to Christmas, right?  
> Me: *sweats nervously* AT LEAST I START VACATION TOMORROW

It’s snowing. It’s snowing _a lot._ It’s been _years_ since Erin has seen this much before Christmas. Abby sent them all home earlier that day because the roads were getting really bad and public transport was sure to be a disaster.

It was, but Holtz and Erin caught their train just in time and have been hiding out in Holtz’s bedroom since; mostly napping while the wind and snow howl and hammer against the windowpane.

Erin is just starting to wake up from her latest nap and notes that Holtz is missing. She sits up and glances out the window. It still flurrying out, but the wind has died down and the snow drifts gently to completely covered ground. It’s clear that the plows haven’t been on their road yet; everything is soft and glowing as the last light of day fades into night. Erin hugs her knees against her chest and just watches for a while.

She doesn’t wonder where Holtz is. She knows that Holtz will always find her way back, and the little adventures that she finds herself on are much better when recapped enthusiastically and embellished fittingly by the woman in question. Erin feels no need to speculate.

Erin makes her way to the living room, ready to grab a book to read, when the apartment door swings open without ceremony. Holtz breezes in, stomping the excess snow off in the entry way. Her hair is glistening with melting snow and her cheeks are rosy and chapped from the wind. She has the biggest smile on her face and Erin feels herself smiling too.

Holtz is carrying some red sheet of plastic under her arm, which she drops when she spots Erin. She starts stripping off all her snow gear in quick order. “Erin! I have an idea!” she announces through her sweater as she’s pulling it off over her face.

“I can’t wait to hear it.”

“We gotta go sledding!”

“S-sledding?”

“Yeah!” Holtz is down to her bright red long johns now and is pulling her fogged-up goggles off her face. “We have all this snow, why not put it to good use?”

Erin just stares, mouth open.

“I was scoping out the neighbourhood and I found this great hill on the school grounds two or three blocks over! There’s no one around to judge us for it, and there’s even a spotlight in a nearby sports field, so it won’t be too dark.”

“ _Sledding?”_

“Yes! I was thinking about traditional snowtime and/or holiday time activities, and with all that snow it just came to me! Plus, I found this toboggan in a dumpster a few months back and had it in storage anyway--”

“ _Toboggan?”_

“Yeah. That’s Canadian for ‘sled.’”

“I know what a toboggan is, I just….” She eyes the red plastic curiously. “Aren’t they supposed to be wooden?”

“Sure, the traditional ones are made of wood, but those are hard to come by. Anyway, this one is clean and it only had one little crack in it so I put some of duct tape on it…” Holtz trails off and her shoulders sink when she looks at Erin. Holtz’s smile dims a little, but doesn’t disappear. “Do you hate it?”

“No! _No_ , not at all! I think it’s a great idea!” And she does. She just hasn’t been sledding since she was a kid, and she doesn’t remember loving it too much back then. It won’t stop her from trying again, though. Anything to make Holtz stop looking like she does right now. “Let’s do it!” Erin’s standing now, hoping she looks more excited than she feels.

Holtz’s face lights up again. “Really? Do you want to go right now?”

Erin freezes up again. “Oh, like, _now_ now _?”_

“Sure!”

Erin’s fist clenches and unclenches. “Alright then! But um, I don’t have any ski-pants.”

“That’s okay, just wear your coveralls! I’ve been working to make the material more slime proof anyway, so it should stand up to snow pretty good. Can’t think of a better way to test it!”

Erin can’t argue with that, so she starts getting ready. She wears lots of layers under her coveralls; so many that Holtz has to help her zip up because her arms won’t bend properly.

As they make their way out to the street, Erin marvels at how quiet everything is. The lights are softened, and the only thing she hears is Holtz’s boots crunching in the snow ahead of her. Maybe this wasn’t such a bad idea after all.

When they reach the hill, Erin is hit with a wave a mild anxiety.

“Uh, Holtz?” Her voice is muffled a little from her scarf. “You failed to mention that we’d be scaling a _mountain_ tonight.”

The hill is enormous. It’s mostly clear with a few trees scattered at the bottom where they stand. There’s a nice even slope to Erin’s right. It’s shy of 150 yards with a 45-50 degree angle from the base. That’s the little one. To Erin’s left, there’s about a 65 degree slope with a large bump halfway that Erin estimates to be a 2 foot drop. It’s only about half the length of the first, but all the more intimidating.

Erin gapes at the challenge before her. “This is… wow. This is something, Holtz.”

“Isn’t it great!” Holtz grabs Erin by the hand and they start running up the hill. Erin is totally out of breath half way up and trudges through the snow far behind her girlfriend.

However scary the hill looked from the bottom, it’s twice as scary from the top. “Uh, should we be wearing helmets or something?”

“The snow will break our fall! Are you ready?”

Everything in Erin’s mind is screaming _no!_ but the excitement reverberating off of Holtz is enough to silence it. Erin swallows hard and says, a little pitchier than she means to, “let’s go!”

“ _Yess_! I get frontsies!”

Erin isn’t about to argue. Holtz plops herself down in the sled and uses her feet as brakes. She waves at Erin to climb in, and for some insane reason, Erin does.

She chances a glance over Holtz shoulder and down the hill and immediately buries her face into Holtzmann’s jacket hood. The tip of the toboggan teeters over the edge with nothing but thin air below it, and Erin would definitely have lost her nerve if she looked any longer. With her arms wrapped as tight as they can around Holtz’s middle, Erin vaguely hears Holtz’s countdown; “5-4-3-2 _here we go!”_

Of course Holtzmann doesn’t complete the countdown, and Erin yelps as they suddenly jerk into motion.

Erin’s eyes are shut tight and she’s pressed close against Holtz. A few seconds in she relaxes a little. Prying her eyes open, Erin is astonished to find that hill doesn’t look so steep now that they’re moving, and she can’t help but notice how pretty the snow looks as they glide down. Her grip relaxes and she moves her face away from that warm spot on Holtz’s shoulder blade she was nuzzled against.

The cold air bites at her cheeks, and the only sound Erin hears is the gentle swish of the sleigh on the hill. It’s oddly calming.

The run lasts _maybe_ 12 seconds in total, and they slowly drift to a stop at the bottom. The two just sit in silence for a minute or two.

Erin is the first to speak. “That was... _Awesome_! Way better than I remember! What a great idea, Holtz!”

“You wanna go again?”

“Yeah of course!”

This time Erin is the one pulling Holtz up the hill. They do four or five more runs, each one getting faster as their tracks in the snow become better defined. By the sixth run, Erin is exhausted from running up the hill so much, and tells Holtz she’s taking a break.

“Does that mean I can try the intermediate hill?” Holtz asks excitedly.

“If you mean _that one,”_ Erin says, pointing to the extra steep slope with the drop in the middle, “I’d say that’s more _double black diamond,_ but I’m not going to stop you.”

Erin can see Holtz sizing it up, mentally calculating speed and trajectory. “I think with the right conditions I could catch some crazy air off that drop.”

Erin just laughs and shakes her head. “Fill your boots, Holtz. The snow will break your fall, right?”

“Exactly!” Then Holtz bolts up the hill.

Erin collapses backwards into the snow and enjoys the quiet. She shuts her eyes and can feel the falling flakes tickle her cheeks and eyelashes, bringing up some of her more pleasant memories from childhood.

A faint cry pulls her back to the present, and she sits up a little to try and spot Holtzmann. When she does, it’s too late. Holtz is seconds away from colliding with Erin. She’s waving frantically as Erin scrambles to her feet. Just when Erin is about to jump for it, the sleigh at its top speed for the evening connects with her calf. The contact hurts less than Erin might’ve thought, _if_ she had time to think, but the thing that surprises her is how much air _she_ gets on the collision. She’s almost positive that she’s totally airborne for a fraction of a second.

Erin’s on her back again in the snow, and dazed for only a few seconds before she starts laughing hysterically.

She manages to sit enough to see Holtz running toward her in the snow. She’s running considerably more lopsided than she usually does; it’s virtually impossible to run through snow effectively with any kind of grace for a regular person, but Holtzmann’s unique gait is exaggerated hilariously in these conditions. Erin just falls back down helplessly with a renewed fit of giggles.

“Are you okay? I’m so sorry! It totally got away from me after that drop! I couldn’t tell where you werecauseyouwerelayingdownandwhenyousatup—shit. _Shit._ I’m so sorry I’m—are you laughing?”

“Yes!” Erin manages through the laughs. “That was hilarious! Your face!” Erin loses herself in laughter again.

She hears Holtz chuckle faintly. “Are you sure you didn’t hit your head? Lemme check for injuries.”

Holtzmann starts patting up Erin’s neck through her mittens and Erin uses the opportunity to steal a kiss. “I’m fine,” she says once her jitters die down. “Thanks for checking though.”

And _finally_ Holtz is smiling again. “Let me make it up to you.”

As Holtz walks ahead, she only strains a little with effort. Erin stares up at the sky from where she lays in the toboggan, happy to just watch the snow fall once again. The only sound is the sleigh swishing over drifts and banks as they make their way back home. Another thing surprises Erin tonight; this just might be her new favourite tradition.


	7. Mistletoe

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I know there have already been like...ten thousand fics featuring mistletoe BUT we came up with this chapter waaaaay back when we first started talking about this fic in November. SO. I hope you don't mind me adding to the noise and I hope I added enough originality for it to stand out!

Abby trudges through the layer of snow on the ground, which has cleared a little. She’s in a good mood; she loves this time of year. The snow reminds her of home. As she reaches the firehouse, she stops just short of pulling open the door. A sign is stuck to the door. Scrawled in what Abby recognizes as Holtz’s handwriting is: _Abby is exempt from the rules of mistletoe._

Abby frowns at that. She’s…glad? She doesn’t know why Holtz wouldn’t just tell her that inside, but whatever. She’s more than fine with this. She has no remote desire to kiss _either_ of them. Let them have their fun and be disgustingly cute. It’s Christmas!

She steps inside and wipes her boots on the mat, begins shrugging off her coat, and freezes. Slowly, her gaze travels upwards to take in the sight above her. The ceiling is covered, _covered_ , in mistletoe. She can’t even _see_ the ceiling underneath it all.

She hears Erin giggle.

Abby’s mouth falls open. “What the crap?”

“It’s mistletoe,” Holtz says.

Abby tears her gaze away from the ceiling and down to where Holtz is sitting at Erin’s desk with her boots up, and Erin is sitting in her lap with her arms around Holtz’s neck. As if to prove a point, she leans in to give Holtz a peck.

“I can _see_ that. Take it down. This is _beyond_ excessive.”

“You’re exempt! Don’t worry,” Erin says.

“That’s not what I—”

Holtz tilts her head up to kiss Erin again.

“—meant. _GUYS. STOP THAT_.”

“What are we supposed to do? You’re supposed to kiss when you’re under mistletoe! It’s not our fault it’s…everywhere.” Holtz smirks.

“It’s _exactly_ your fault. Are you telling me that Patty came back from upstate just to hang this? Did _elves_ do it? Did _Kevin_ do it? Huh?”

Holtz taps her finger on her chin. “Where is Kevin, anyway? Last I heard he went to McDonalds to get some nuggets. That was three weeks ago.”

“He went Christmas shopping,” Erin says.

“When?”

“It was…hmm. I actually can’t remember. I’d say it’s been at _least_ six days. But I mean, it’s Kevin…he probably got lost in Macy’s.”

Abby sighs. “He went to Australia to be with his family for the holidays. Said he needed to leave extra early because he was taking the train over, so…actually, I’m not sure where he is.” She frowns.

“He’ll come back when he’s hungry,” Holtz says. “Like a stray cat.”

“Okay, no, I definitely saw him a few days ago. He was at his desk polishing his ornaments!” Erin says triumphantly.

“Is that a euphemism?” Holtz says.

“I feel like we’re getting off topic, here,” Abby says. “Stop distracting me from the fact that you hung mistletoe from every inch of our ceiling. It’s unacceptable!”

“Who’s it hurting, really?” Erin asks.

“Me! I have to watch you guys all day! Why couldn’t you have at least done this on the second floor where I wouldn’t have to see it?”

“Who’s to say I didn’t there, too?” Holtz smirks.

“Did you?”

“Nah. Mistletoe is highly flammable and, as always, safety is my _number one_ priority.” Holtz winks.

Abby plants her hands on her hips. “I’m warning you two. If you don’t take it down, I’m gonna—”

“What? You’re gonna what? Yeah, I see your empty threat there, Yates. Checkmate.”

“You want to keep it up?”

“We’d like that,” Erin says.

“Well, if you want to keep it up, then I’m sure you won’t have any trouble following the rules, right?” Abby cocks her head to the side.

“All we have to do is kiss, Abby. You aren’t going to scare us by making us kiss.”

“But you have to kiss _whenever_ there’s mistletoe overhead, correct?”

“Yes…”

“And is there not mistletoe covering every single inch of the ceiling?”

“There is…”

“So, that means you need to be kissing at all times, right?”

“I mean, in _theory_ , but that doesn’t mean that’s realistic or even _possible_ …”

“Erin, we at Ghostbusters are all about turning theory into reality, are we not?” Holtz says with a wink. “Abby has raised some _excellent_ points.”

“It’s settled then. You need to be kissing at _all times_.”

“That’s not—”

“Ah ah ah! Smoochy smoochy!” Abby motions at them.

Abby just catches Erin’s eye roll before the two connect their lips.

Abby makes her way over to her desk and sits down as they break apart. “Hey! You’re still under mistletoe!”

“Abby, we need to work,” Erin says.

“You’re big girls. You can multitask.”

“But I—”

“MISTLETOE.”

They start kissing again, and keep at it, only pausing long enough to breathe in between.

After a while, Erin says, “Holtz, why don’t—”

“MISTLETOE.” Abby points up.

Erin huffs. “Holtz.” Kiss. “Why.” Kiss. “Don’t.” Kiss. “You.” Kiss. “Go.” Kiss. “Upstairs.”

“I’m good,” Holtz mumbles.

“You’re talking an awful lot over there for being in perpetual lip-lock.”

Erin flips her off without taking her lips off Holtz’s.

A bit of time passes, and Abby starts to worry that her punishment isn’t turning out to be much of a punishment at all. Erin has grabbed her notebook and pencil and is half-working over Holtz’s shoulder. Holtzmann, always needing something to do with her hands, has taken apart the clock on Erin’s desk without even looking. At this point, they’re not kissing so much as just keeping their lips touching without any sort of movement.

Erin pulls away and Abby’s head snaps up. “Hey! What do you think you’re doing?”

“I have to pee!”

“Well, that sounds like something you two are going to need to problem solve.”

Erin throws her hands up in the air and joins her lips to Holtz’s again. A few seconds later, she very carefully climbs off Holtz’s lap without breaking away. Then Holtz slowly rises from her chair.

Abby barely stifles her laughter as the couple begins shuffling in the direction of the bathroom. They clutch each other to keep their balance as Holtz moves backwards and Erin watches over her shoulder to direct them. They make it to the open door and Erin jumps away from Holtz and over the threshold.

“Ha! There’s no mistletoe in the bathroom!” she calls. She shuts the door and Holtz strides over.

“Abbyyy. You know I love a good prank, and I think you proved your point. Can we be let off the hook?”

“Sure,” Abby says, “when you take the mistletoe down.”

“I love the spunk, Abigail.” Holtz pats her head. The toilet flushes. “Ah, better get back to my duties.” She skips back over to the bathroom just in time for the door to open.

“Give me a moment,” Erin says. “My lips are already turning a little raw, Abby.”

“Not my problem!”

Erin sighs loudly and joins their lips. They begin the awkward shuffle back towards Erin’s desk. They only manage to make it a few yards when Holtz trips and the two of them fall, almost in slow motion, towards the ground. Erin lets out a little shriek as it happens and Holtz grunts when the weight of Erin lands directly on top of her.

Abby bursts out laughing.

“That’s it,” Erin says as she disentangles herself and clambers up, “we’re going upstairs.” Grumbling, she takes Holtz’s hands and heaves her upright and then to her feet.

“Hey, you’re still under mistletoe until you get to the stairs! Get kissing!”

“Make us!”

The two of them sprint to the stairs and then slow once they’re in the safe zone. “You’re evil, Abby!” Erin calls.

“Hey, I’m just getting into the ‘festive spirit’ of mistletoe,” Abby says with air quotes and a smile.

“BYE, Abby! You win!”

For the rest of the day, they only come down one at a time, and Abby can’t stop laughing.

The next day, the mistletoe bundles are down to a tasteful half-dozen, and Abby decides she can live with that. It is Christmas, after all.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like Jillian said last chapter, we have to write and post one chapter a day to finish on time. Leave some encouraging comments to urge us along in our pursuit!


	8. Shopping

As soon as they cross the threshold of the mall doors, Holtz can see Erin’s whole body go tense almost instantly. The corridors are filled with people wall to wall and the foot traffic flows in a seemingly unending stream.

Holtz grabs Erin’s hand and ducks her head a little to look at her. Erin’s eyes dart anxiously at the sight and she’s gnawing at her lip a little more aggressively than usual. 

“Hey, you didn’t have to come, babe.” Her voice is gentle with concern. “Just because I put my shopping off for so long doesn’t mean you should suffer for it. Why don’t you go get a tea somewhere and I’ll come find you when I’m done?”

Erin jumps a little when Holtz speaks and she turns her attention to the blonde with a warm, determined smile. “No, it’s okay—really! I want to spend time with you! Plus, I need to pick up some, uh, wrapping paper anyway.” Erin squeezes Holtz’s hand gently. “I’m good, I promise.”

Holtz believes her. “Let’s go quick, then. No sense in drawing this out! Holtzmanns are  _ very  _ efficient shoppers. We know what we like,” she says with a wink. 

Erin laughs and the two journey off. First stop is the post office in a nearby drug store. Holtzmann sends some packages and cards express so they arrive before Christmas. To her credit, Holtz only swears a little bit when the attendant reads off the total price for shipping. 

Next, they follow their noses to a luxury soap store and pick up some bath stuff for Patty. 

“I also made her a new belt buckle from scratch. Wanna guess what it says?” Holtz says as they wait in line.

“I would much rather you tell me,” Erin answers, grinning.

“It says  _ FIGHT ME  _ with a little rose dotting the ‘I’ and a lovely rose-gold finish to match.”

Erin smiles warmly. “Sounds perfect.”

When that’s done, Holtz buys a fancy cheese kit and an agenda designed for a child for Kevin. 

Abby’s next, so they go to a games and hobby shop to find some things for her there. They walk out with a Japanese board game with some beautiful artwork and a 16 inch vinyl figure from one of Abby’s favourite indie video games. 

At this point, Holtz’s arms are getting pretty tired, and she notes in passing that Erin seems to searching for something.

“Looking for a place that might have that wrapping paper you like? You know with the grid on the inside for precision wrapping.”

“Huh?” Erin says distractedly. “Oh, right! Yes…that’s what I’m doing.”

Holtz gives her a look. Erin’s chewing on her lip again and flicking her fingertips a little. “Do you mind if I run down a floor or two to grab that thing I need?”

“Wrapping paper.”

“Right. That. I can meet you at the food court in twenty?”

“Okay,” Holtz says simply, and Erin takes off. She gets about four feet before turning back. She kisses Holtz on the cheek quickly before turning again and disappearing for good.

Holtz  _ knows  _ that Erin’s not getting wrapping paper. She ran right by a Hallmark store that has all wrapping paper  _ and  _ all holiday merchandise for 70% off.

Holtz shrugs it off and prefers not to think about. She likes surprises anyway, so it’s best if she doesn’t try to guess. Plus, Erin’s absence gives her the perfect opportunity to pick-up her girlfriend’s gift. She smiles wickedly and takes off in the opposite direction Erin disappeared to. 

It’s quite a production to get the gift bought, wrapped, and tucked three layers deep in Holtz’s other shopping bags. When she finds Erin, she’s sitting at a table in the food court sipping a smoothie and clutching a bag entirely too close to her abdomen. 

Erin still hasn’t spotted her, so Holtz turns and walks all the way around the escalators to sneak up on her. When she’s close enough, Holtz leans in very close and says, right in Erin’s ear, “I know you’ve got a present for me in there.”

Erin jerks back while spitting some of her smoothie out. It drips down her chin and Holtz snorts out her first few laughs.

“ _ Jesus, Holtzmann.” _

Holtz is doubled over and slapping her knee. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry! It was too perfect.”

Erin wipes her chin with a napkin and glares at her girlfriend. Holtz doesn’t miss the smile Erin thinks she’s hiding. “Not funny, Holtz.”

“You’re right. It wasn’t funny.” She plops herself down in the chair across from Erin, shaking the whole table as she does. “It was actually  _ hilarious. _ ”

Erin smirks a little, but it’s brief. She sits up straighter, indicating that it’s back to business. “So, did you get everything that you needed? Any more stops?”

“Nope! All done. So,” she wiggles her eyebrows, “what’d you get me?”

Erin, if possible, clutches her bag even closer. Her eyes narrow. “Who says this is for you?”

“Please Erin, you didn’t even buy anything resembling wrapping paper.”

“Who said I was buying wrapping paper?”

Holtz laughs in her face. God, she’s bad at this. It’s adorable. “You did, love! Like, three times!”

“Oh, right.”

Holtzmann shakes her head and laughs some more. As she stands, she holds out the arm that’s not carrying all her shopping bags for Erin. Erin accepts, and the two saunter off. 

“You know what the best part of Christmas shopping is?” Erin says thoughtfully as they exit the mall. Holtz can feel the tension evaporate from Erin through their still linked arms.

“Finishing it?” Holtz guesses.

“ _ Exactly.” _

Holtz beeps the remote locks for the hearse and searches for their vehicle. “Well I would agree with you there, Er-bear, but I sort of count wrapping the presents in this category, and that is such a blast, it’s got ‘finishing’ beat by a mile.”

“Ssshoot. I really did need to buy some wrapping paper…”

“Don’t worry about it,” Holtz says, spotting the car about fifty spots away and tugging Erin toward it. “I’ve got some stuff we can use.”

“Okay…” Erin sounds unsure. Holtz just flashes her a confident grin. 

“Trust me love; the fun is just getting started.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun story: I totally set Maddie up for our next chapter without telling her. Hehehee... Let's see where the next chapter takes us. As always; thanks for reading!!


	9. Wrapping

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "I set Maddie up without telling her!" Jillian says, as if we haven't had these chapter themes/titles and their order figured out since mid-November. Good thing we didn't plan the actual plot, so there's still lots of room to take each other's set-ups and run in strange directions with them ;)
> 
> Very very minor TW for blood in this chapter!

Erin and Holtz get back from the mall and drop their bags in Holtz’s living room. She calls out a greeting to the chinchillas while Erin kicks off her boots and removes her layers. She watches with a smile as her girlfriend skitters across the room and pokes her fingers through the massive hutch that houses the furry animals. She’s so adorable.

“You think they’re getting in the Christmas spirit?” Holtz asks from her place in front of the cages.

“The chinchillas?”

“Children.”

“Sorry.” Erin pauses. “I mean, it’s kind of hard to tell, isn’t it? They can’t talk, so…”

“But do they _seem_ festive to you?”

“I don’t…know.”

Holtz tsks. “Okay, so do you want to start wrapping now, or take a recuperation break to watch a Christmas movie? Or do you want to put one on to watch _while_ we wrap? So many choices.”

“I feel like if we don’t start now, we’ll lose any momentum we’ve built up while shopping. Basic physics. So, why don’t we put on a movie and start?”

“I like the way you think.” Holtz strides over and gathers up her bags.

Erin follows her into her bedroom, where she keeps the only TV in her apartment. Erin flops down onto the bed and stretches out while Holtz goes and pokes her head into the closet.

“I’ve got some wrapping paper in here somewhere,” Holtz says, her voice muffled.

“What movie do you want to watch?” Erin picks up the remote.

“I think I’ve got Rudolph on DVD.”

“And where…might that be?”

“Ah…right.”

Erin laughs. “Should I find whatever’s playing on TV?”

“Maybe.” Holtz pulls her head out of the closet, brandishing a few tubes of wrapping paper. “Ah hah!”

She throws them and they land on the bed. Erin picks one up. “Holtz.”

“Yeah?” Holtz moves her bags to the bed and then crawls over them and plops down next to Erin.

Erin holds up one of the tubes. “This is _not_ Christmas paper.”

“I never said it was Christmas paper. I just said I had some stuff we could use!”

“I’m not using this! Rainbow polka dots are not festive!”

“I beg to differ. Come on, haven’t you heard of making the yuletide gay?”

Erin shoots her a look. “ _You_ can use this. I’ll just have to hazard the mall again to get some acceptable paper.”

Holtz sticks out her tongue and grabs one of the bags. She pulls out the gifts for Kevin and grabs one of the rolls of paper. “Find a movie yet?”

Erin is flicking through the channels. She lands on something that looks Christmassy and sets the remote down.

Beside her, Holtz pulls out a stretch of paper. A second later, she starts ripping it.

“Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop!” Erin says, reaching a hand over. “What are you doing? Scissors, Holtz!”

“I’m down, but let’s clear the bed first.” Holtz waggles her eyebrows.

“That’s not even…” Erin shakes her head and sighs. “Seriously, though—”

“Seriously, though, don’t take this so seriously. It’s just wrapping presents! This should be _fun!”_

“I’m going to get you scissors,” Erin says, and pushes herself up off the bed. She ambles into the kitchen. While she’s there, she makes sure to hide her super-secret bag further under her purse so Holtz won’t go snooping. Even if she _does_ poke around in there, it probably won’t give _everything_ away…but Erin would still like to keep this particular present as much of a surprise as possible.

She returns with a pair of scissors and a roll of tape, because knowing Holtz, she would probably concoct some alternate adhesive strategy if left alone. She wordlessly passes the two to Holtz, who is sitting cross-legged on the bed with her head bent over the agenda for Kevin. She’s picking away at the price sticker on the back.

“What the hell do they attach these things with?” she asks without looking up. “I feel like I could save tons of time on soldering if I used this adhesive instead on my machines. Impossible to get off!”

“Would that be safe?”

“You are just being the ultimate fun police today, aren’t you?” Holtz says with a grin.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Erin says as she climbs onto the bed. “I just get stressed out at this time of year.”

“You’ve gotta embrace the mania of it all and have fun with it. Why don’t you help me out with these, and take a crack at the Holtzmann Method?”

Erin bites her lip for a moment. “Why don’t you show me the rest of the Holtzmann Method, and then I’ll decide?”

Holtz grins and resumes her tearing of the wrapping paper. “I’m just going to leave the sticker. What’s the likelihood that Kevin will even notice it’s there?”

“What’s the likelihood that Kevin will turn up before February?”

Holtz laughs. She sets the agenda down on the paper—face up, Erin notes—and pulls the paper around it. She tears off a huge string of tape and sticks it on haphazardly so it barely holds the pieces together. Next, she folds up the ends in a way that’s nowhere _near_ the correct method, and adds another mess of tape all over it. For good measure, she takes the tape roll and wraps it around the entire present once, then twice. She tears the strip off and pats it down, then pushes it across the bed towards Erin.

Erin just stares down at it. “Well that’s…certainly something. Think you’ve got enough tape, there?” she teases.

“Your turn!” Holtz says brightly.

“You’re just trying to get me to do your wrapping for you.”

“Dr. Gilbert, I would _never!_ ”

Erin stares at her for a few seconds, then pulls the roll of paper towards her as well as the cheese kit that’s Kevin’s other present. She unrolls enough paper to cover the gift, then reaches for the scissors.

“Nuh uh! Tear it!”

Erin rolls her eyes and slowly starts tearing the paper. She knows she can fold the edge over, which she does anyway to correct the straightness.

“Rip it like you mean it!” Holtz says.

Erin obliges, and then before she realizes what’s happening, the paper has slipped and sliced her finger. She drops the roll in surprise. “Shoot!”

“What happened? OH! Paper cut?”

Erin nods and waves her stinging finger in the air.

Holtz crawls over, crinkling the paper on the bed between them, and grabs Erin’s hand. “Oh man, would you look at that? You got yourself _good_.”

“It’s a tiny paper cut.”

Holtz ignores her and holds Erin’s hand up in front of her face to inspect her finger. “It’s bleeding, Erin! WE’VE HAD A CHRISTMAS FATALITY!”

“Stop shouting. It’s a paper cut!”

“WE MIGHT HAVE TO AMPUTATE.”

“Holtz.”

 “STAY WITH ME, ERIN. WE’RE LOSING YOU!”

“Holtz.”

“DO NOT DIE BEFORE CHRISTMAS.”

“ _Holtz_. Are you done?”

“CLEEEAAAR.”

Holtz tugs Erin’s hand up and sticks the offending finger in her mouth. Erin immediately yanks it out. “Really? There’s so much bacteria in there!”

“Erin. Did I save your finger? This is very serious business.”

Erin shoves her with a smile. “You’re such a dork.” She climbs off the bed. “I’m going to go rinse your spit off my finger. Maybe you should take over the wrapping again, huh?”

Holtz points her finger. “Hey! Did you do that on purpose so you could get out of wrapping?”

Erin pauses at the door. “You know, maybe subconsciously.”

“Dedicated,” Holtz says with a grin, “I like it.”

Erin blows her a kiss and does an exaggerated curtsey. As she walks away, she hears Holtz start wrapping again.

By the time she gets back (with a tiny Bandaid on her cut, which Holtz makes fun of her for), Holtz has wrapped the cheese set in her typical fashion, using the crumpled paper that she crawled over. Erin slides back onto the bed and cuddles into Holtz’s side to watch her girlfriend wrap. She makes sure to get some ribbing in about Holtz’s style, and Holtz retaliates with some jabs about her ‘injury.’

All the stress of the season seems to melt away with each moment that passes, and for the millionth time, Erin finds herself so grateful that she has Holtz by her side this Christmas.

 


	10. Tree

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a few small bits of this may or may not have been lifted directly from conversations with maddie. whooopppsss.

When Erin wakes up the next morning, she finds a piece of ripped wrapping paper taped to the back of her knee. She notes that Holtz is still sleeping. Erin chews her bottom lip and wonders maybe if she showers fast enough she can start working on Holtz’s present.

She scurries into the shower, washes as quickly as she can, and when she emerges 5-7 minutes later, Holtz is wide awake and making coffee as if she never slept. Erin hopes that Holtz doesn’t see the way her shoulders sink. She is really starting to worry that she didn’t leave enough time for herself to make what she needs to make. If only she had thought of the idea sooner...

“Good morning my little holly branch! I was thinking we should take the gifts we wrapped last night into the firehouse and have our Christmas there.”

Erin looks around Holtz’s apartment and realizes that there are no ornaments or decorations out anywhere. “Hmm, yeah, we’re a little under furnished around here, aren’t we?”

“Yeah. I directed all of my festive energy into the firehouse this year. You’re moving here in like, a week, so I figured _next year,_ once we’re all settled and cozy we can go all out in the apartment instead. Abby will be pretty grateful, I think.”

Erin is inclined to agree. She smiles pensively at the thought of ‘next year’ with Holtz.

“I think you’re right.”

“What is Abby up to for Christmas, anyway? Will she be at HQ?” Holtz asks after a beat or two.

“Uh, no I don’t think so. She said something about taking a few days off to watch Netflix and eat take-out all day.”

“That sounds amazing. Why don’t we do that too?”

“Because this year is all about _traditions,”_ Erin reminds her. “And as delightful as Abby’s Christmas sounds, it’s not exactly traditional.”

“That's fair. So if we’re going to have Christmas at the firehouse, I think we’ll need a tree.”

“Oh right! Why didn’t we get one sooner?”

“Been busy.”

“Right.” Erin pauses. “You know, it’s actually more traditional to put the Christmas tree up late… even as late as Christmas Eve. Then on the 25th, the 12 days start...Today’s the 23rd, so technically we’re ahead of the game.”

Holtz smirks. “You must have been spending a lot of time with Patty recently.”

“Just Sunday school stuff.”

Holtz pauses. “We won’t have very long to enjoy the tree, though.”

Erin tightens her house robe and gets up to pour herself a cup of coffee. “Well, we can leave it up until January fifth. That’s Epiphany. Apparently, it’s bad luck to take it down earlier than that.”

Holtz’s face splits into a grin. Then it fades a little. “Where the heck are we going to find a tree on the 23rd in this city though? Most lots are closed by now!”

“Shoot, I didn’t think of that.”

One internet search and a trip downtown later, Holtz is disassembling the proton pack racks in the Ecto-1.2, and Erin is standing over the space heater in their freezing cold garage at headquarters.  

“Holtz we’re going to need, like, a 12 foot tree to look nice in the firehouse. Are you sure it will fit? Shouldn’t we rent a truck or something?”

“Nonsense! I’ll make it fit!” Holtz pauses her work to shoot a fake pout in Erin’s direction. “Don’t you believe in me, Er-bear?”

“Well of _course_ I do—”

“Then shh.” One of the racks clatters obnoxiously to the cement floor. “I’ve got it handled.”

They listen to Christmas carols for the whole hour and a half drive. The roads are mostly clear, but they do run into a few flurries on the way. Erin enjoys it, though. It helps to set the mood.

The last leg of their journey takes them down a dirt road somewhere in Connecticut. It’s snow covered and a little slippery, but they power through okay.

Erin made sure to call as they crossed the state line like the website recommended. It was common courtesy, apparently.

As they leave the car in the closest thing to a parking lot either one of them could identify, a sweet round man greets them enthusiastically as they walk toward a nearby cabin.

“You must be the Ghostbusters! I’m Henry! Welcome to Hank’s U-CUT Fir and Spruce!” He holds his hand out, which Holtzmann accepts, shaking it a little firmer than is probably necessary. She has a giant grin on.

“We are, sir! Thank you for the warm welcome. I’m Holtzmann, this is my beautiful girlfriend Erin.”

“Hi!” Erin says, waving awkwardly before shoving her hand back into her pocket because it’s _so_ cold.

“Well Ma’am, we’ve got some great trees for you to pick from today. All our trees are around $60 give or take. It’s not very often we get folks coming around this close to Christmas, so the lot is all yours.” He eyes the hearse carefully. “I’d say you’re looking for a 6-7 footer?”

“Actually, we were hoping for something more like 10-12 feet! You got any trees like that here?”

Henry removes his hat and scratches his head with the same hand. “Well sure! Those are closer to $65. Lemme just grab the hacksaw—”

“Aw, don’t bother! I’ve got this pretty lady right here,” Holtz says, producing a felling axe from seemingly nowhere and swinging it over her shoulder to rest there. “Just sharpened her this morning.”

Erin scoots a little closer to her girlfriend and leans in close. “Uh, Holtz, I don’t think you’re supposed to bring your own tools to these things.”

Henry just stares. “Well sure, you could try that Ms—”

“Doctor.”

“ _Doctor_ Holtzmann—”

“Just Holtz is fine.”

“I’m gonna have my boy Charlie go with you with a hacksaw, just in case. We’d love for you to come to the cabin when you’re finished. My wife will have some warm apple cider ready for you both. Enjoy!”

Then Henry all but runs to his cabin.

A lanky late teen appears moments later looking thoroughly confused and only a little terrified. “Uh, are you the Holtzmanns?”

“I am the Holtzmann, this is a Gilbert,” she answers, pointing at Erin with her thumb. “We’re not married.” Pause. “Yet.” Holtz finishes with a wink, and Erin feels herself blush a little. Charlie stares blankly. Laughing, they join hands and follow the trail into a small forest of evergreens.

It doesn’t take long to find one they both like. It’s a filled-out Douglas fir with a lovely shape. It doesn’t look _so_ big close up.

“How tall would you say that is, young Charlie? 15, 17 feet?”

“Uh. It’s about 11 and a half, Ma’am. I can measure it for you if you like—”

“That won’t be necessary. I’m just screwing with ya, bud. Do I start the cutting now?”

“Well usually we are the ones who actually—”

Holtz swings an arm around the boy’s shoulders and whispers conspiringly. “I’m gonna level with ya here, Chuck. I’m trying to impress my girlfriend over there by showcasing my above-average upper body strength—”

“Holtz, I am standing two feet away from you. I can hear all of this.”

Holtz responds with a wink and turns back to Charlie as if Erin had said nothing. “Can you throw me a bone here, son?”

Erin can see Charlie swallow nervously from where he’s standing. She rolls her eyes at Holtz’s antics, but can’t help but laugh. Charlie unclips a hard-hat from his belt and hands it to Holtz. “Just don’t tell my Dad, okay?”

Holtz slaps the kid firmly on the back. “I knew you’d come through for me, Charles! What a guy!”

She takes the hard-hat from Charlie and throws her hat backward in Erin’s general direction. The earflaps slap Erin in the face as she makes no effort to catch it, letting it fall in the snow with a comical _floof_ sound.

“Great catch, Erin!” Holtz pulls her goggles over her eyes, plops the hard-hat on her head, and takes a broad swing at the tree.

Erin is actually impressed with her efficiency. Wood chips fly off into the snow with each swing and Holtzmann really doesn’t seem to be exerting herself as much as Erin might have predicted. That is, until the tree falls. As soon as the fir connects with the ground, Holtz collapses after it in a heap.

“Holy _shit_ that was difficult! You must be jacked, Charlie.”

Charlie looks like he might let it slide, but apparently he finds some confidence deep within. “Well, it’s a lot easier with the hacksaw.”

“Yes. Yes, I believe it would be. I feel like I owe you an apology, kid.”

Charlie shrugs noncommittally and Erin, laughing, goes to help her girlfriend up.

Charlie offers to carry Holtz’s axe back for her, as apparently it’s a struggle just to keep her arms held up. Erin and Charlie manage to drag the tree between the two of them. When they reach the cabin, Erin and Holtz happily surrender to the warm comfort of Henry’s woodburning stove and his wife (Peggy)’s irresistible apple cider. Charlie is appointed the task of bailing and loading the tree outside in the parking…field?

Erin is just about to ask for her second cup of cider when Charlie comes into the cabin looking decidedly baffled.

“Uh Ms—”

“Doctor.”

“ _Doctor_ Holtzmann?”

“Holtz is fine.”

Charlie looks at his Dad helplessly. “I think we’ve got a problem.”

That’s how they end up taking their tree home in two pieces. Charlie generously offers to hack off the top two feet of their tree (“See how easy that is Holtz? Just as impressive, too,” Erin can’t help but jab) and slides the top next to the main trunk in the back of the hearse.

As they pull away from the lot, Holtz and Erin wave through the frosted windows of the car to the family that perhaps should have been better informed of Holtz’s eccentricities before permitting them onto the lot. The car is filled with the smell of fir, and Erin is driving. Holtz says she can’t hold her arms up long enough to steer.

When they cross the state line back into New York, Holtz breaks their comfortable silence with a confession. “You know, not once in the whole forty minutes it took me to take apart the trunk of this bad boy did it occur to me to take the nuclear reactor off of the roof.”

They return to the firehouse just short of two hours later and Holtz has gained enough strength in her arms to get the tree stand secured to the base.

Erin examines the tree laying on its side, and the top sitting next to it and flicks her fingers thoughtfully. “You know it doesn’t look _so_ bad with the top cut off. And you might not even notice with an angel or a star there…”

“Oh, I’ve got this Erin. Grab me some scrap metal, my soldering iron, and some duct tape.”

“Really, Holtz?”

“Really! I can fix it.”

Erin retrieves the required materials without another word and watches as Holtz reattaches the top. They hoist the tree up and step back in admiration. A few moments pass when they collapse in unison onto the couch behind them. Holtz instantly curls herself into Erin’s lap.

“I’m so tired. Never let me cut down a tree again.”

Erin strokes Holtz’s hair absentmindedly, and smiles to herself. “I promise.”

The radio hums with barely audible Christmas music and Erin watches Holtz as she drifts off to sleep.

Another few minutes pass before Erin checks her watch. It’s 6:15. There’s still time. She carefully places a pillow under Holtz’s head and shuffles out from under it. She runs over to her purse to find that the contents from yesterday’s shopping trip are still there. She smiles triumphantly and tiptoes upstairs to the lab to get work immediately.

She’s surprised how quick it takes. She’s finished before nine, which is perfect since the events of the last few days have really started to catch up to her. She hides the gift under one of her itchiest blazers in her locker, knowing full well that Holtz won’t go within 10 feet of it.

Erin makes her way down to the lower level to find that Holtz is still sound asleep. Erin climbs over the back of the couch and squeezes herself behind Holtz. She pulls a nearby throw blanket over the two of them and sighs sleepily. As she feels herself drift off, her last thoughts are about Holtz and how for the first time since she was a kid, she’s _really_ excited that tomorrow is Christmas Eve.


	11. Volunteering

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Christmas Eve, guys <3 Also, this chapter got more political and more angsty than I originally intended. Hope you still like it! -Maddie

Holtz wakes up in a good mood. It’s Christmas Eve, the firehouse looks festive as hell—especially with her spoils from yesterday’s adventure standing tall amongst the lights and paper snowflakes and ghosties on the ceiling—and she’s got the best girlfriend ever in her arms. She clutches Erin a little closer and buries her face into her hair.

“Morning, snowflake,” Holtz says, her voice muffled.

“Happy Christmas Eve day,” Erin replies sleepily.

They stay there for a while, in no hurry to get up. Eventually, Erin claims she has to pee and disentangles herself to do so. Holtz sits upright on the couch and surveys the tree.

“We need to decorate it,” she says once Erin has returned.

Erin hums in response. “I have some ornaments in a box at my place. We could swing by there? Then by your place to feed the children? Then we could settle in here for a day of decorating and relaxing?”

“You’re so great at plans,” Holtz says.

“I try.”

They get themselves bundled up and step out of the firehouse. Erin links their arms together and they take off in the direction of the subway. They only manage to get a few steps before Holtz sees something and freezes, which causes Erin to stumble and crash into her.

“Were they there yesterday?” Holtz says through clenched teeth.

“Who? What—”

Holtz gestures her head at the Santa-hat-wearing, bell-ringing Salvation Army collection person stationed at the end of the block.

“I…yes? Someone has been there all month. Didn’t you notice?”

“I guess I’ve been distracted by you,” Holtz mutters to herself. “Are you sure?”

“Positive! I donated a few weeks ago after feeling guilty going by them every day.”

Holtz unlinks their arms and turns to her in horror. “You didn’t.”

“…Yes?”

“Erin!”

“What?” Erin looks stricken. “What’s wrong with that?”

“The Salvation Army, Erin? _Really?_ How could you?”

“What’s wrong with the Salvation Army? It’s just a donation to homeless shelters and stuff, right? What’s so wrong about that?”

“What’s wrong with the Salvation Army?” Holtz explodes. “Erin, _everything!_ Seriously, I can’t believe you gave them money when you’re—”

“ _Hey,_ ” Erin says sharply, “don’t talk to me like that. Obviously I don’t know what’s so bad about them, and obviously if I knew there _was_ something bad about them I wouldn’t have given them money, so stop making me feel like crap about it and actually _tell me_ what’s wrong with them so I never do it again! Yelling at me about it doesn’t change the fact that I did it!”

Holtz falls silent and winces. “I’m sorry, Erin,” she says in the smallest voice possible. She screws up her face as tears fill her eyes.

Erin’s face softens instantly. “Holtz? Shoot. I shouldn’t have snapped at you either, I’m s—”

Holtz shakes her head roughly to cut her off. “No, I—they just make me so _angry_ and upset and I’m a dick for taking it out on you. I can’t believe—”

Erin reaches out to squeeze her arm. “Hey, why don’t we go back inside and collect ourselves before we make the front page of some trashy tabloid? ‘ _Ghostbusting girlfriends have public fight on Christmas Eve, only heartbreak under the tree this year!’_ ”

Holtz lets out a hiccupy laugh. “You should go into journalism.”

Erin leads her back to the firehouse and once inside gives her a soft look. “So, what’s this all about?”

“The Salvation Army,” Holtz inhales roughly, “has a long history of blatant anti-LGBTQ discrimination.”

“Oh,” Erin says quietly.

“In 2004, they threatened to close soup kitchens right here in New York over non-discrimination legislation. Three years prior they even tried to get religious organizations to be exempt from laws like that.”

“That _was_ 15 years ago…have they changed at all?”

Holtz shrugs. “In 2012, they apparently fired an employee for being bisexual. Later that year, a spokesperson made some statement about same sex relationships being an act against God. Lately they’re trying to ‘debunk’ the anti-LGBTQ ‘myth,’ but their history doesn’t lie. Even if they _are_ magically more accepting now, that doesn’t change the fact that they’ve been discriminating against queer people for _decades_. Not just that, but queer people who _needed_ them.” Her voice breaks.

Erin places a hand on her back and rubs gently. “I had no idea, Holtz. I’m sorry.”

Holtz rubs her eyes angrily. “It’s just personal, y’know? The fact that they get to _pick and choose_ which humans to help based on their own theology is so...” She swallows thickly. “And I’ve _been there_. I _was_ that scared, struggling, queer kid with nowhere to go. Working three jobs while I was in grad school and barely making enough to pay my bills, let alone buy food. Then there was that one stretch of time when—” She breaks off and scrunches her eyes shut. “I just…I know what it’s like to be in that position, and I remember being so terrified that I’d be refused service or something should I ever reach out to them. It’s not fun. So yeah, they make me really, _really_ angry. And I don’t get angry easily.”

“You never get angry,” Erin murmurs.

Holtz swipes at her eyes with her sleeve. “I’m sorry for yelling at you. You didn’t know. I know you wouldn’t have donated if you knew.”

“I’d take back my donation if I could.”

Holtz exhales. “I’m sorry. Christmas Eve is supposed to be happy, and I’ve gone and turned it into a complete bummer.”

Erin bites her lip. “Do you think you’ll be okay to walk past them? We can still have a happy Christmas Eve. Let’s go get the decorations and try to forget about it, okay?”

Holtz nods her assent. The two take off again, and Holtz tries her best to not look at or think about the collection person, or all the money that’s sitting inside that stupid red kettle. She’s quiet for the rest of the trip to Erin’s place, and she sits on the edge of the couch while Erin retrieves a small box labeled _Christmas_ in her neat handwriting. Holtz takes it from her and props it on her hip, then they depart for Holtz’s apartment. When they get there, Erin feeds the children while Holtz gets changed. While she’s staring into her closet, she gets a stroke of inspiration. She rifles through her large collection of festive sweaters (some might call them ‘tacky,’ but she prefers ‘unique’) until she finds the one she’s looking for.

Garish knitted rainbow stripes, LED snowflakes, and the phrase _Homo for the Holigays_ in swirling script. Perfect.

She can’t believe this is the first time this year that she’s worn this one, actually.

“What are you doing?”

Holtz looks over her shoulder to see Erin leaning in the doorframe of the bedroom.

She grins. “Donning my gay apparel.” She tugs the sweater on and turns so Erin can see it.

At this point, Erin has seen most of the sweaters in Holtz’s collection, and she seems to love all of them. Actually love, not just ‘that’s awful and I love it’ love. Now, though, she looks completely thrown.

“Oh! Wow, that’s…that sure is…that’s something. That’s very interesting…I mean, it’s very _you_ , and—”

“Isn’t it just?” Holtz looks fondly down at her chest. “It makes a statement, don’t you think?”

“That’s…yes, it certainly does…”

“Ready to go? Are the kids fed?”

“And cuddled.”

“Perf. Let’s go, then!”

Holtz props the box on her hip again and takes Erin’s hand as they walk. Holtz is even more aware than usual of all those incessant jingle bells on seemingly every block. She makes a big show of leaving her jacket open so everyone they pass can see her sweater. She can feel Erin gripping her hand even tighter than usual. They make it back to the firehouse, and to her credit, Holtz doesn’t fight the collection woman on their block when she averts her eyes from the two of them.

Erin squeezes her hand as they step inside. “See, now we can just put all that behind us and focus on having fu—Abby!”

Abby is standing in the middle of the firehouse staring up at the tree.

“Where the hell did this come from?”

“Merry Christmas Eve to you too, Abigail,” Holtz says. “I thought you were supposed to be Netflixing?”

Abby turns around and seems to get momentarily distracted by Holtz’s sweater. “Ooh, ‘Holigays.’ I forgot about that one.”

Holtz finger-guns her.

“No,” Abby continues, “I forgot my laptop charger here. I was just going to pop in and out and be off on my merry way, but I just have…so many questions.”

“It’s a Christmas tree,” Erin offers.

“Yes, thank you.”

“Holtz cut it down,” she adds.

Abby lifts an eyebrow. “From _where?_ Central Park? You know chopping down random trees is illegal, right?”

“Psssh. Give me _some_ credit. I have to draw the line somewhere. As if I’d ever commit a felony in the name of Christmas.”

Erin joins in with the eyebrow-raising.

Holtz winks. “What _is_ a felony, really? So subjective.”

“Which brings us back to my question. Where did you cut down this tree?”

“A U-CUT place out of state,” Erin says. “Completely normal. Well, the part where Holtz brought her own axe wasn’t so normal, but you know what I mean.”

“You liked it,” Holtz says.

“I did. _Very hot_ ,” Erin mouths.

“What happened to the top of it?” Abby asks, staring back at the tree.

“Unimportant. Once we slap some ornaments on that puppy, it’ll be hardly noticeable. Speaking of which—” Holtz shakes the box— “We’re just about to decorate. Care to join us?”

“I have a hot date with my couch. Already postponed it once.”

Erin pouts. “Aw, come on, Abby! It’s still so early! Stay for an hour—you’ll still have plenty of time to binge on whatever you’re going to binge on.”

Abby contemplates for a few seconds. “Fine,” she says finally, and when they start cheering she holds a finger up. “One hour! That’s all I’m promising.”

“We’d better get right to work, then!” Erin takes the box from Holtz and carries it over to the couch to start unpacking it.

Soon, Christmas carols are playing from Holtz’s stereo and the three are getting into the swing of things. They take down a few strings of lights that are hanging on the walls and wrap the tree with them, then follow with Erin’s ornaments. Holtz has only broken one so far—Erin swears it wasn’t a good one anyway—and the tree is looking great. Not too much time has passed, though, when they run out of ornaments…and only about 10% of the tree is covered.

Erin appraises it. “I used to only get those miniature trees. I didn’t consider that.”

Normally, Holtz would see this as a challenge, or embrace the Charlie Brownness of it all, but today she’s…already emotionally fraught, or something. Her lip wavers. “This isn’t okay. Timothy deserves better.”

“Timothy?”

Holtz juts her chin at the tree. “Tiny Tim.”

“Right. Well, we can…we can go buy more ornaments!”

“The day before Christmas? Really, Erin? Who’s going to have any?” Holtz stalks over to the couch, flops onto it, and drops her head into her hands. “Christmas Eve is _ruined_.”

“What is—Holtzmann, are you _crying?_ ”

“Leave it, Abby. We had a rough morning.”

“What happened? Someone spit in your eggnog?” Abby jokes.

“She uh…got a little upset about the…collection…outside.”

“Huh?”

“Salvation Army,” Erin whispers.

“Ooooh. Yeah, that’s a touchy subject, alright.”

Holtz feels the couch sink down beside her and she drops her hands.

“Heyyy, Holtzmann. You can’t let them ruin your day, okay? We’ve talked about this. They’re always going to be there.”

“I know that.” Holtz swings her leg to kick her heel into the couch. “I just feel all sad and pissed off now, and I hate that. It’s Christmas. I don’t want to feel bummed out.”

“What’s going to make you _not_ bummed out?” Abby asks.

“I thought decorating the tree, but that only distracted me for a moment. I’m worried I’m going to be bummed out for the rest of the day, and then that’s going to carry over until tomorrow, and I’m just going to be perpetually bummed out because of the freaking Salvation Army.” She kicks the couch again. “And I know they’re always going to be out there, but it’s just especially bumming me out that they’re _right outside_. It’s like…you know how they normally station themselves outside businesses? It’s almost like they’re using the foot traffic from this being Ghostbusters Headquarters, and that _really_ pisses me off. Even though I know we’re not endorsing them, it almost feels like that. It’s stupid. I know.”

“That’s not stupid,” Erin murmurs, coming to stand in front of Holtz.

“Why haven’t we been raising money? We could’ve totally raised so much money and given it to actual worthwhile charities. We could’ve done a toy drive! We could’ve got cool gender neutral toys for cool kids! Why didn’t we think of that?” Holtz can feel herself getting worked up again, but she doesn’t know how to stop it.

“Next year, Holtz. We can do all of that!” Erin crouches in front of her and pats her knee.

“I don’t want to do it next year, I want to do it _now_. I’m bummed out and angry and I want to do it now. Come on, the mayor owes us a billion favours! We could totally pull something like that off, right?”

Erin and Abby exchange a glance.

“It’s the day before Christmas, Holtz. The mayor’s not even in town. Erin’s right, we can do that next year.”

“What’s the point of being public figures if we can’t use our position to do some good?” Holtz kicks the couch again, harder.

Something comes over Erin’s face. “Hey! I might have an idea. It’s not a toy drive, or a fundraiser, but…”

 

That evening, the three of them stand in a row and fill a plate, assembly-line style. Holtz loads up a big scoop of mashed potatoes at the end and hands the plate to the girl in front of her.

“Happy holidays!” she says with her brightest smile.

After some quick research, they found a local soup kitchen ( _not_ Salvation Army run) putting on a big Christmas meal. They called them up and asked if they could use three more volunteers, then went on a big shopping run to pick up some extra food to donate. When they arrived, they were greeted warmly by the elderly couple who runs the joint. The whole evening, they’ve been thanking them profusely for donating their time to help out. The dining hall is packed full, and there’s a long line of volunteers all hustling to get the meals out.

Everyone is talking and laughing and eating, and it makes Holtz’s heart feel full. She’s never done this, not around Christmas like this at least, and she’s so glad that Erin got the idea.

The girl takes the plate from Holtz. “Thank you. Merry Christmas.” She hesitates for a second, and then, a little bashfully, adds, “I like your sweater.”

Holtz looks down at the LED snowflakes, and then back up at the girl. “Thank you so much,” she says sincerely. “You have a good Christmas, okay?”

The girl nods shyly, gives a little smile, and walks away with her plate. Holtz watches her go, feeling Erin press another plate into her hand, and her eyes get a little misty for the third time today.

Oh yes, next year they’re going to go all out. But this—right now—feels good.

 


	12. Christmas Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh hey! While you're here, go check out [Rosanna's tumblr](http://eringrinchbert.tumblr.com) where I accidentally stole Holtz's pun from!

After they finish volunteering, it takes a lot of convincing to get Holtz to go home to their apartment.

“But Erin, the tree! The presents! Can’t we just stay one more night at the firehouse?”

“Holtz, you know I love you, but if I have to spend another night on that couch, I’ll be very grinchy tomorrow.”

“Erin Grinchbert!”

“Not your best.”

“I know. I’m sorry. Okay, let’s go home. Want to cuddle my children anyway.”

Erin just laughs and rolls her eyes.

They both go to sleep fine at the reasonable hour of 9:30 PM.

After what seems like only a few minutes, Holtz gently nudges Erin awake.

“Psst, is it too early to get up?”

Erin groans and rolls over to check the time. It seems awfully dark, so she suspects that, yes, it’s too early. Her fears are confirmed when she sees the clock.

“Holtz! It’s 3AM!”

“I know, I’m sorry, I’m just too excited!”

Erin turns to face Holtz. It’s impossible to be mad at her; especially when her hair is all soft and messy around her face, when her cheeks are still a little pink from sleep, when her eyes are so bright from excitement they’re practically glowing in the dark.

She places both her hands on Holtz’s cheeks and strokes lightly with her thumbs.

“I know, baby, it’s very sweet. But the trains aren’t even running yet.” Erin kisses her softly, and keeps her eyes closed as she presses her forehead against her girlfriend’s. “Try to sleep, okay? I promise we’ll go at 6:30 sharp. Goodnight.”

Holtz voice is soft. “Good night, Erin. Merry Christmas.”

Erin smiles and sighs deeply. She’s almost asleep again. “Merry Christmas, Holtz.”

Erin awakes a few hours later. It’s quarter after six in the morning and Holtz is not in bed. Erin pads into the living room while tying the strings of her house coat. Holtz is curled up in a ball in front of the chinchillas’ change. Erin can’t tell at first glance if she is asleep or awake.

“Holtzmann?”

Holtz jumps up from her spot on the floor. “I’m awake!”

“How are your kids?”

“Lonely, I think. I have a travel carrier for them, you know. Do you think we could take them into the firehouse for the day? I don’t want them to be alone for Christmas.”

Erin smiles broadly. _Perfect._ “I think that’s a great idea, Holtz! We might have to get a little creative with the transportation, though. I’m not sure how the MTA feels about voluntarily bringing rodents onto their property.”

“Oh! I think I have some wrapping paper left! Let’s disguise the carrier! No one will know.”

“Excellent. But first I need to shower. Care to join me?”

“I can’t think of a better way to start the day.”

That whole event sets them back a little bit, but it doesn’t too long to get dressed. It turns out that Holtz made a trip to the second-hand shop a few weeks prior and picked out some of “the ugliest holiday sweaters” for both of them to wear. Well, that’s how she presents them anyway.

Holtz’s is an obnoxious green and red number with actual jingle bells attached to it around belly button level and dangle over her crotch. Above those, the sweater says _Jingle my bells._ Erin laughs. She wouldn’t have expected any less.

“You missed the best part!” Holtz pulls the sweater up and Erin is distracted momentarily by bare midriff and needs Holtz to point out exactly what she should be looking at.

It’s a belt buckle with a tacky gold finish (to match the jingle bells) that simply says _HO._

Erin just laughs.

“I made it myself!” Holtz announces. “After I made Patty’s, I realized how easy it is to make a custom belt buckle. I thought I should make a Christmas themed one to wear today.”

“So you went with ‘Ho’?”

Holtz just winks in response. “What do you think of your sweater, my sweet little candy cane?”

Erin looks down at hers. She really doesn’t think it’s too bad. It’s a blue turtleneck with darker blue highlights on the cuffs and the collar. It has a giant snowflake on the front with white and light blue sequins on it. It’s actually kind of…nice?

“I actually really like it!”

Holtz smirks knowingly. “Thought you might.”

Erin pairs it with some khakis and some diamond earrings.

Holtz wraps the chinchillas’ travel cage haphazardly with whatever wrapping paper scraps she can find. She takes extra care to poke a few small holes in the sides to makes sure all of her babies make the trip okay.

It’s seven thirty by the time they make it to the subway station.

Before they go underground, Holtz looks up at the dim morning glow as the sun rises, making all of the snowflakes glitter beautifully as they fall.

“Can you believe we’re getting a white Christmas this year?”

Erin’s staring at Holtz. “Perfect,” she says dreamily.

By the time they reach the firehouse, it’s clouded over. The snow has picked up, as well at the wind. The two sprint the last 100 yards to warmth, because it dropped about 10 degrees, too.

Erin is delighted to find that they left all the Christmas lights on last night. A soft glow welcomes them and Erin is suddenly a ball of nerves. She’s just realized that her first Christmas with someone she’s in love with is about to get underway, and she’s already second guessing all of the presents she’s purchased.

Holtz must sense it, because Erin feels a warm hand on the small of her back.

“You wanna help me unwrap the chinchillas?” Holtz asks brightly.

Erin can’t help but laugh, and nods her head emphatically.

Once the children are free, Erin hears her stomach gurgle for the first time that day.

“Uh, maybe we should make some food?”

“Excellent idea! Let’s see what we can scrounge together!”

They find some eggs, an onion, and half of a red pepper.

“Omelette?” Holtz offers with a sly grin. Erin is instantly reminded of one of their first mornings together and her heart skips about four beats.

“Yes please!” Erin replies, swallowing hard. “I’ll make the coffee!”

Everything is ready before too long. Holtz even finds some Bailey’s stashed away in one of their cupboards to add to their coffee.

Erin forces herself to eat through her nerves. Holtz seems easy though. Erin watches as she feeds the chinchillas eggs through the cage, laughing and licking her fingers when she’s done.

“Are you nervous?” Erin asks quietly.

“Huh?” Holtz replies, clearly caught off guard.

“Are you nervous about this?”

Holtz smiles obviously. “Honey, why would I be nervous?”

Erin squirms a little and abandons her half-finished omelette. “This is just…”

“What?” Holtz asks gently, encouraging Erin to continue.

“It’s a lot. I mean, it _means_ a lot. What if you don’t like your gifts? What if I messed it all up?” Erin’s vision blurs with tears and she swallows hard, willing them away.

“Erin...” Holtz sets down her own plate on top of the chinchillas’ cage and scrambles across the couch to Erin’s side. She wraps an arm around Erin and kisses her cheek, letting her lips linger there for longer than she normally would. Erin smiles a little but feels a single tear slip out regardless.

“Erin, I love everything about you. I love everything about this Christmas. It’s been the best one I’ve ever had, and it’s all because of you.” Holtz kisses Erin’s cheek again for emphasis. “It’s impossible for you to give me anything that I wouldn’t love or appreciate. I _promise._ ”

Erin can’t help but sniffle a little. She can’t think of anything to say, so she just kisses Holtz. Erin turns her whole body for better leverage and tangles her hands all up in Holtz’s hair. Holtz does the same and moans her approval, prompting Erin to pull her closer, opening her mouth to deepen the kiss.

After several moments, they break apart gasping. With their foreheads still touching, Erin says breathily, “I love you, Holtz.” She kisses her one more time for good measure.

“I love you, too.” Pause. “Can we open presents now?”

Erin laughs, and sniffles the last few of her tears away. “Yes. But first, I got you a stocking. You have to do that first.”

“That’s amazing Er, because I too got you a stocking.”

They both retrieve the stockings from their respective hiding place. Holtz’s hiding spot remains a mystery, but Erin’s is just her locker. While she’s there, she grabs the gift she made for Holtz the other day and sticks it in her pocket discretely. She wants to save it for last. She swallows nervously, and meets up with Holtz on the couch.

Holtz’s stocking is mostly junk food. Nothing too fancy. There are few pairs of socks and a package of bobby pins. There’s also a new bandana at the very bottom with the colours of the pride flag.

Holtz is grinning ear to ear. “These are amazing! What the heck were you so worried about?” Holtz leans over and kisses Erin on the cheek. Erin’s laughter comes out in nervous jitters. “Thank you so much,” Holtz says. “Now you go!”

Erin’s stocking is a little more varied. Custom pens, a card game, some candy, an honest to goodness mix tape, and a few random shirts stuffed in the bottom that Holtz must have found at Goodwill.

It’s all wonderful and Erin says thank you with hugs and kisses also. They move on to the big gifts they got each other. Holtz starts and finds a new pair of work gloves paired with some new combat-style boots. Erin included three pairs of laces: neon pink, neon green, and laces with _CAUTION_ written on them in black and yellow. Erin also stuffed in a few crazy ties she found in the heels of the boots. Holtz is ecstatic and after she pulls the ties out, she puts the boots on right away.

Erin’s big gift (wrapped with about 100 tiny bows) is a bundle of hangers all mismatched and marvelous, a memory foam pillow, and a beautiful quilt that is clearly antique but in amazing condition. The colours on it are wild, but Erin loves it anyway. Underneath, Holtz included two pillowcases that somehow match perfectly.

“Holtz this is beautiful!”

Holtz is blushing (a rare sight) and is tugging on her ear a little. “Well, it’s kind of a theme. Things for us when you move in next week.”

Erin reaches over and pulls her into a tight hug. “I love it, Holtz. Thank you so much.”

Holtz returns the hug, kissing Erin’s neck where her face is buried. “I’m so glad you like it. I’m so glad you’re moving in.” Holtz’s breath is hot on Erin’s skin, and her words come out all muffled. Erin is so happy.

They break apart, and Holtz smiles a little. “Oh, there’s one more thing.”

“Holtz you’ve done enough, really—”

Holtz pulls out a long slender box wrapped neatly and perfectly; obviously done professionally.

“I picked this up for you that day we went shopping. I—well, how about I finish telling you after you open it.”

Erin just stares. Her hands shake a little as she carefully unwraps the gift. She can tell this means a lot, so she takes her time with it.

When the paper is gone, she can see that it’s a jewelry box. Erin’s stomach is in knots as she pulls the lid off. Inside is a white gold necklace. At the base, there are two small diamonds dangling on either side of a white gold pendant. It’s a miniature version of the radiation symbol with a heart in the middle. Holtz’s custom symbol that she always includes on their Ghostbusting gear.

Erin feels tears spring to her eyes as she touches the delicate pendant.

“Holtzmann…”

Holtz is tugging at her ear again. “I would’ve made it myself, but uh, I don’t have a lot of experience with stuff like this. I found a jeweler that I could commission work from and well…I just wanted it to be perfect for you.”

Erin is in shock. It must’ve cost a fortune. She feels a few tears roll down her cheeks and smiles in disbelief. She’s totally speechless for the second time that day and simply hugs Holtz again. She manages a feeble “thank you” before pulling away.

“I’m sorry for crying again,” Erin says, laughing at herself while wiping her eyes, “I just…I love it so much.”

Holtz looks a little misty herself. “I’m so glad.”

“Oh!” Erin says suddenly. “I almost forgot! Gosh, it’s so stupid after what you just gave me…” She reaches in her pocket. “Here,” she says, presenting Holtz with a small box.

“ _Erin!_ You shouldn’t have!” Holtz starts tearing into the paper almost immediately. When she gets to the box, she flips the top open and stares. Erin’s nerves are buzzing as she watches Holtz reach in with her thumb and forefinger to retrieve the contents. It’s a tiny piece of wool with a tiny little _E_ stitched into the pattern. Holtz picks up the next one, which has a _P_ on it. Erin suspects Holtz might’ve figured it out by now, but she explains anyway.

“They’re sweaters for the children. If we can ever figure out which is which, each of their sweaters have the first letter of their name on it.” Pause. “Do you like it?”

Holtz has been very quiet the whole time, but finally looks up. Her eyes are shining with tears as she launches herself at Erin for a hug. Erin falls back on the couch laughing. “Is that a ‘yes’?”

“Yes! I _love_ it!” Holtz sniffles in response. “Did you make these all yourself? I didn’t know you could knit!”

“It’s just counting,” Erin replies simply. “Are you crying?”

“Only a little,” she says, squeezing Erin a little tighter.

Erin pushes her away so she can kiss Holtz’s tears. Then her lips. Then they’re hugging again.

“Can we put them on them now?”

“Well actually there’s one more thing. Check the box again.”

Holtz releases Erin and looks in the box. She has to move the last two sweaters away and she’s frozen again. Erin swallows hard.

“I made these, too,” she says, pulling the last two items out from the box. “They’re probably not as good as what you could make, but I followed the instructions _very_ carefully.”

They’re matching rings made from copper wire, a nut and a screw.

“This one’s for you. It’s made from the screw I stole from that hardware store. I hope it fits.” Erin pauses, a little unsure. “I think it will. I’ll wear this one. If you want. I mean, if you don’t mind. It’s a bolt I found on your workbench. The screw fits into the bolt pretty well.” Erin demonstrates, and takes a deep breath.

“Holtz, I already know I want to spend the rest of my life with you. You’re the best thing that has ever happened to me. This is the only thing I can think of that shows it better than a promise…if you’ll have me.”

Tears are rolling freely down Holtz face now. “Erin, _of course_ I’ll have you. Forever and ever and always as long as you’ll have _me_.”

They forgo the hugging all together and fall together in a deep kiss.

After a while they fall apart, both laughing and crying at once. They decide to wear their matching rings on their right hands until “you propose to me for real,” Holtz says.

They dress the chinchillas shortly after and recline on the couch. It’s a little after ten now and Holtz is yawning already.

“Did you sleep at all last night, Holtz?”

“A little,” she says around a yawn.

Erin considers it for a moment before saying, “Let’s have a nap then!”

“Really?”

“Sure! Patty is upstate. Abby’s Netflixing. Kevin is God-knows-where. We’ve got the whole place to ourselves. Let’s nap.”

“On this couch that you hate?”

Erin is smiling. “I’m willing to make the sacrifice.”

“Can I be the big spoon?” Holtz asks sleepily.

“Naturally.”

And they curl up together and start to drift off.

Several hours pass, and something stirs Erin. She can’t be sure what; she was sleeping a lot deeper than she thought.

She opens her eyes and gazes up with someone very tall looming over.

“ _Wake up bitches!”_ the figure shouts without warning.

Holtz leaps awake with a yelp, sending Erin spiraling to the ground. She lands with a _thud_ and blinks a few times trying to figure out what’s going on.

Abby’s laughter draws her back. “I can’t believe she did it!” Abby wheezes through laughter. “Your faces!” And that’s about all she can manage before she’s lost to hysterics.

Patty’s beaming over them with a gigantic grin, entirely too amused. “Merry Christmas, my babies.”

Holtz is confused for maybe half a second before she jumps up to hug Patty. “What are you doing here?” she asks delightedly. “I thought you were upstate until New Years?”

“Uh well,” Patty wipes her nose with her thumb. “I may have overestimated how long I could tolerate my relatives. You might not believe this, but I’m the boring one in the family. I peaced out today after Christmas brunch. I brought y’all wine though!”

“Abby?” Holtz asks, just as thrilled.

“I got bored. Also, the power went out for an hour or two, so I decided to come here.” She’s still giggling a little from before.

Erin just rubs her butt, still a little sore from the impact.

“Well I for one am _delighted_ that you two showed up!” Holtz announces. “You guys are the only thing that could’ve possibly made this Christmas better.”

“Sorry I’m late guys,” Kevin drawls from the doorway.

Everyone stares in disbelief.

“ _Kevin?”_ Abby manages.

He waves brightly, apparently oblivious to everyone’s shock.

“I was wrong,” Holtz says, beaming.

“I brought the turkey, just like we said! Mom made these rolls and a potato casserole, too. It’s really good. Wait’ll you try it!”

“Kev,” Patty says. “Doesn’t your mom live in Australia?”

“Yup!” He answers brightly. “Wanna eat while it’s still hot?”

Everyone is really too dumbfounded to argue, so they start getting the table together for dinner.

Everything is _delicious_ even if it’s a mystery how it got there.

When they’re finished, Kevin offers to do the dishes and the girls recline in the living area sipping wine and catching up on the events of the last few days.

Patty is way more amused about the tree story than Holtz’s might’ve preferred. Erin can tell by the way she pouts quietly in the corner.

Abby’s been watching documentaries. She tells everyone that she watched a few too many depressing flicks in a row, so she’s really enjoying the break.

It’s not too long before Kevin finishes the dishes, and he plops himself at Abby’s feet expectantly.

“Did you guys get anything for me?” He asks brightly.

Turns out everyone has a little something for everyone else, and they take their turn opening while the others watch. The highlights include Kevin excitedly hugging his dinosaur themed agenda and Patty screaming when she sees her belt buckle. When everyone is finished, they all pour another round of wine, and Kevin is already asleep against the arm chair he’s leaning on.

“So,” Abby says after a long stretch of comfortable silence, “was this Christmas everything you hoped it would be?” She looks at Holtz and Erin.

The two exchange a look from where they’re nestled together on the couch. They nod knowingly and Holtz is the first to speak. “I feel like anything we say will just come out really cheesy.” She’s still staring at Erin.

“So, I’ll just say ‘yes’,” Erin says, beaming in response. “It was absolutely _perfect.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WELL FOLKS, what a ride it's been! I hope you enjoyed it! Maddie and I both worked really hard, and even though it's not technically Christmas in my time-zone any more, Maddie's still got a few hours, so I'm operating on her clock to get this to you, on time, under the wire.
> 
> I'm not sure if anyone noticed or not, we decided pretty early on that this is an unofficial follow-up to Maddie's fic "underneath the electric stars" (i tried to hyperlink it guys but ao3 is being a dick abt it rn). Maybe you can go back and see if you can spot some references ;)! 
> 
> The rings that Erin made are [here](http://www.instructables.com/id/Handymans-Valentine-gift-Screw-Nut-rings-pair-/?ALLSTEPS) if you're curious. If you're ALSO curious about the sweaters I DID draw them, but you'll have to bug Maddie about it. That picture was part of the Christmas gift I sent her ;)
> 
> This has really been a labour of love guys, so I hope you enjoyed it as much as we enjoyed writing it! Until next time!!
> 
> -Madeleleleine and Jillian Not-Holtzmann


	13. New Year's

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SURPRISE! Bet you thought you'd seen the last of this fic! We've had this epilogue planned all along, and we wrote this (very long) chapter together! We're so pleased with the directions it went, and we hope you like it too!

Holtz wakes up on the last day of the year thrumming with excitement. It’s not even the upcoming new year that’s giving her butterflies, it’s the fact that today her beautiful, amazing girlfriend is officially moving in with her. She rolls over in bed and pokes Erin excitedly.

“Psssst!”

Erin groans in response.

“Erin. Erin. Guess what.”

“I’m going to call off the move if you’re going to wake me up at the crack of dawn every morning,” Erin murmurs sleepily.

“It’s only—” Holtz checks the clock on the beside table— “5:14! That’s not the crack of dawn.”

“It is. It totally is.”

“Okay, but you’re moving in today! How can you sleep when you’re moving in today! It’s too exciting!”

There’s a moment of silence, and Holtz wonders if Erin has fallen back asleep. But then there’s a rustling of sheets and shifting of weight in the bed as Erin rolls to face Holtz. “It is very exciting,” Erin says softly. “I can’t believe I’m going to _live here_ tomorrow. And I get to wake up next to you every day.”

Holtz beams, even though Erin probably can’t see it in the dark. “So, now that you’re awake anyway…should we get a head start?”

“No, Holtz. Kevin and his friends aren’t meeting us with the truck until 8:00. Everything is packed already. Unless you’re suggesting carrying boxes over on the subway, there’s nothing we can do yet. So, we might as well—”

“Make breakfast? Plan out where your stuff is going to go? Go have sex in your apartment one last time?”

“I was going to say go back to _sleep_.”

“Fiiiine. Boring.”

“Tonight is New Year's Eve! If you expect me to stay up until midnight, especially after an exhausting day of moving, then you need to let me sleep now.”

Holtz considers that. “That’s fair. I’m going to go play with the kids, then, because there’s no way I can fall back asleep now. I’m too excited.”

Erin makes a noise that sounds vaguely agreeing, but mostly just sleepy. Holtz pushes herself out of bed and slips out of the room, ready to start this day even if Erin isn’t. She just hopes it’s going to be as great of a day as she’s built it up to be.

-

Erin wakes up at the much more reasonable hour of 7:15 AM. Holtz is not in bed, but Erin’s not concerned. As she stretches, she considers showering for a moment, but she showered last night and she knows she’s only going to get sweatier and dirtier as the day progresses. Besides, she’ll be able to enjoy a nice warm shower or bath a lot more once all the heavy lifting is done; literally and figuratively. 

She washes her face and brushes her teeth in the en suite bathroom and wanders into the living room once she’s changed into some comfortable moving clothes. She freezes as she passes the threshold.

Holtz is sitting on the floor in the living room surrounded by the chinchillas’ disassembled habitat scattered across the floor, wood shavings all over, and her girlfriend tapping a rubber mallet on the floor in a contemplative tattoo.

“Um, Holtzmann? What the hell is going on?”

Holtz jumps up wearing only the shirt she slept in, and some old boxer-briefs.

“Good morning my _auld lang syne!”_

“That doesn’t even make sense—”

“I’ve decided to do some redecorating!”

“ _Now?”_

Holtz looks a little guilty. “Okay, I know I should've done this sooner, but I think I was a little too generous in my calculations earlier. There’s _no way_ we can fit any of your stuff in here with the children’s cage taking up three quarters of the square footage.”

“True.”

“So I decided to make room! Literally!”

Erin tilts her head for a moment to consider that. Realistically, she knew a while ago the cage needed some renovations, but she didn’t have the heart to ask Holtz to downsize. She crosses the room and grasps Holtz hands gently. “We could’ve made it work, you know. You didn’t have to do this.”

Holtz looks down, pink colouring her cheeks bashfully. “I don’t mind making space. These little fuzzballs used to be the only thing that really mattered to me.” She glances over at the travel carrier where Erin can hear the chinchillas skittering. “I’ll admit that I’ve spoiled them. But now I have _you_ , and I love you almost as much as those dumb little rodents.”

Erin laughs a little.

“So to welcome you into the family, we’re willing to make the sacrifice,” Holtz says, squeezing Erin’s hands for good measure. She lowers her voice and leans in a little. “They’re totally cool with it. I asked,” Holtz continues after a beat. “Except Higgs, but he’s always been the jealous type; try not to take it too personally,” she finishes with a wink.

Erin’s really laughing now. “Thanks, Higgs,” she says to Holtz, leaning in for a quick kiss. When they break apart Erin retreats to the kitchen to scrounge together something to eat. She decides on instant oatmeal (Peaches n’ Cream, because they’re the only packets left after Holtz ate all the Maple and Brown Sugar, and Cinnamon and Sugar) and mumbles around a mouthful: “So what exactly is your plan here?”

“I dunno yet!” Holtz cracks the mallet down over another tunnel. Erin jumps a little. “I was thinking I’d pick away at this while you go with Kevin and the boys to your old place!”

Erin’s face falls a little. She’s sure she looks extra pathetic with her cheeks stuffed full of cereal. “You’re not going to help?”  
  
“I will, I promise! But I should really finish this first. I think I’ll have it done by 10:00, so I’ll meet you there?”

Before Erin can protest, the apartment buzzer goes off. She jumps a little at that, too. Her nerves are _terrible_ when she’s feeling stressed.

“That’s Kevin! I’ll go let him up!” Holtz says, bolting toward the door.

“You have a receiver here, Holtz! You don’t need to go down every time!”

But Holtz has already disappeared down the hall, leaving the front door gaping in her wake.

Erin just sighs. She gobbles down what’s left of her oatmeal and pours her coffee into a travel mug. She takes a deep breath and pushes up her sleeves. She’s got a long day ahead.

-

Holtz arrives down at the entrance to her building and sees Kevin standing there bouncing on his heels.

“Kev! Hey, buddy!” She looks around him. “Where are these strong friends of yours that are going to help us move?”

“You’re right here!”

She chuckles. “No, I mean your other friends. The ‘really muscular’ ones who you said can do all the heavy lifting today.”

“That’s you, boss!”

Holtz blinks. “Kevin. Are you telling me that you _don’t_ have a group of guys that are coming here today to move Erin’s heavy stuff? I mean, I fully acknowledge that I could probably outlift any one of them, but I can’t do it by myself.”

“You don’t have to do it by yourself, boss. I’m here! And my other strong friends, Abby and Patty!”

“You don’t, by any chance, have _other_ friends named Abby and Patty, do you? Or do you mean the Abby and Patty that you work for? Because I don’t see them.”

Kevin taps his finger on his chin and looks around. “You’re right. Did you tell them that we needed them today?”

Holtz stares for a moment, then pulls her phone out of her back pocket and dials Abby. The call goes to voicemail, which probably means that she’s still asleep.

“Hey, Abs,” Holtz says after the beep, “there’s been a little mix-up. Kevin doesn’t have friends coming after all, so we’re going to need you and Patty a little earlier than we told you. Come by Erin’s apartment as soon as you can.”

She calls Patty, too, who sounds very unimpressed when she answers but says she’ll come.

After that, she turns her attention back to Kevin. “Where’s the truck you said you’d bring?”

“What truck?”

“The truck. For moving? You said you could get us a truck.” Holtz pauses. “But I’m…assuming…that’s not…happening…”

She only has to wait a few seconds to see his confused face before turning on her heel and heading back inside, not even checking to see if he’s following. As it turns out, he is, and when she bursts in through the door of the apartment, Erin waves.

“Morning, Kevin!”

“Erin, we have a situation.” Holtz’s eyes drift to the floor behind Erin and she mentally kicks herself for choosing today of all days to dismantle the chinchillas’ cage.

“What? What’s wrong?”

“As it turns out, there are no friends, and there is no truck.”

“ _What?_ ”

“I’ve called Patty and Abby, and they’ll be at your apartment as soon as possible to help out. I think between the five of us we can still manage. I’ll leave all that—” She gestures at the floor— “to deal with later, and I’ll go rent us some sort of moving van right now while you take Kevin and go meet the others at your apartment.”

Erin blinks. “Okay…”

Holtz grabs her coat and salutes Erin. “I’ll see you in a bit.”

She ducks outside, walking fast, already searching on her phone for the nearest rental place. Not wanting to waste any more precious time, she opts for a cab instead of taking the subway.

She arrives at the rental place some time later and pops into the office, which is surprisingly busy. While she’s waiting in line, she calls Erin.

“Hello?”

“Hey, babe, how are things there?”

“Well, Patty’s still not here, and Kevin won’t stop saying these weird observational statements that sound almost like ominous premonitions, and it seems like there’s a _lot_ more stuff to move now that we don’t have extra help, and I’m kinda freaking out right now…”

“Breathe. It’ll be okay. It’s still early! We have tons of time to get it all done and still have plenty left over for celebrations tonight. But speaking of how much stuff there is, how big a truck do you think I need to get?”

There’s a pause. “I don’t know. You’ve been here…there are still a lot of boxes. And the couch. And the bookshelf. And the coffee table. And the bed. And…it’s a lot, okay? Err on the side of too-big.”

Ah, yes, the furniture. According to Erin, having no furniture in a living room is ‘unacceptable.’ Who knew? And as for the bed, they decided that Erin’s was of considerably better quality than Holtz’s, so they’re swapping them out.

“A 16-footer, maybe?” Holtz is staring up at the board that advertises all the truck types.

“Use your judgement. I gotta go, though, because Patty just showed up.”

“M’kay. Love you,” Holtz replies absentmindedly, then hangs up.

She’s up next anyway, so she steps up to the counter. She decides that the 16’ truck is probably fine, even if it means that they need to do multiple trips.

An excruciating amount of time later (it’s been years since Holtz last rented a vehicle, and she’d forgotten how much of a production it is), Holtz is driving in the direction of Erin’s apartment and hoping that they won’t have any more hiccups for the rest of the day.

When Holtz arrives with the truck, she is delighted to find that most of the heavier boxes are already sitting outside Erin’s building. She does not, however, spot any of her friends.

“Guys?” she says, clambering out of the truck. She walks around, swings the back open, and grabs the nearest box off the lawn. Without taking the ramp down, she starts loading. She’s almost to the truck with her second box when she hears a faint shifting above her somewhere. She also notices an unusual shadow looming over. She looks up just in time to spot three quarters of Erin’s mattress suspended through Erin’s bedroom window a storey above.

“Incoming!” Kevin shouts before apparently giving it the final shove.

“Kevin, _no!”_ She hears someone shout milliseconds after—she’s pretty sure it’s Abby—but the mattress is already tumbling down. Holtz yelps, drops the box she’s carrying, and runs around to the side of the truck. She presses her body as close as she can to the side, covers her head with both hands, and prays.

The mattress lands with a resounding _flop_ on the sidewalk, springs up half a foot in the air, and ricochets onto the front steps of Erin’s building.

“Kevin, what were you _thinking?!”_ This time, she knows it’s Abby yelling. When she feels it’s safe, Holtz glances up at Erin’s bedroom window. Erin’s hands are the ones she sees first, tugging Kevin away. She can also hear a faint tirade of scoldings echo from indoors; all of which don’t seem to phase Kevin in the least. She can tell he’s smiling dimly as Erin rants.

“Er-bear?”

The lecture ends abruptly and Erin hangs out the window, eyes searching frantically. “Holtz? _Holtzmann?_ Oh my God, are you okay?”

Holtz has to wave to help Erin spot her. “All’s good down here! No harm no foul!”

Holtz can see Erin’s shoulders sink with relief. Then Erin’s biting her bottom lip. She’s biting it _hard_ like she did right before she punched that vlogger a few months ago.

“Erin!” Holtz warns, but Erin’s already whipped around and yelling, twice as furious as before. She can’t make out exactly what Erin is saying, but it’s fast and it’s loud, and Holtz knows she needs to get up there before her girlfriend kills their secretary.

It doesn’t take long to clear the stairs, especially when she takes them two at a time. By the time she reaches the bedroom, Abby and Patty are both restraining Erin as she thrashes toward Kevin.

“—And even if it _wasn’t_ just Holtz down there, it could have been a cat or a dog or a kid! What is wrong with you?! Do you think anything through? Do you _ever_ think _anything_ through!”

Holtz brazenly puts herself between Erin and Kevin, the latter of which is _literally_ backed into a corner and seems very close to crying.

“Erin—Erin, _Erin!”_ Holtz coaxes, trying not to be too amused by the sight of a livid Erin Gilbert. Her cheeks are burning, her hair is wild. Why is it so hot? Holtz keeps it together enough to continue. “It’s fine! We’re fine! No one was in the way, everyone is okay. I’m here and you’re fine.”

Erin stops thrashing almost immediately when she spots Holtz. Holtz can see her relax in Abby and Patty’s grip. Holtz also sees Erin’s bottom lip quiver for maybe half a second before breaking free and all but collapsing into Holtz’s arms.

“Oh, thank _God.”_

She’s squeezing Holtz so tight it hurts, but Holtz doesn’t mind. Obviously, it’s what Erin needs right now.

Patty and Abby walk toward Kevin and retrieve him from where he’s—good God he’s _actually_ cowering—and lead him away.

“Come on, big guy,” Patty soothes. “Let’s give them a minute.”

“Yeah,” Abby agrees, patting his shoulder, “we’ll go find you a juice box or something.” Then the three of them are gone.

“You okay?” Holtz asks after a few minutes.

Erin sniffles a little in response. “Yeah, I’m just really glad you’re here. I _hate_ moving.”

“There, there,” Holtz coos. “Everyone hates moving, baby. It’s what they make you do for eternity when you go to Hell.”

That earns a small chuckle from her girlfriend, and as Erin relaxes, Holtz is able to move away a little.

“I’m sorry, I’m just a little stressed right now.”

“You wouldn’t be my Erin if you weren’t _a little_ stressed,” Holtz says earnestly with a lopsided smile. There’s a beat. “Uh, why did Kevin throw your mattress out the window?”

“Oh _that,”_ Erin scoffs. “The mattress and box spring won’t fit down the stairwell.”

“Whaaaaat?”

“Yeah!” Erin says with a humourless laugh. “We tried for forty minutes straight! They just can’t make that last bend by the landing.”

Holtz is stunned. “But how did it get here in the first place?”

Erin laughs again in the same humourless way, throwing her arms up for effect. “I don’t know! I had it delivered one day and it was just _here_ when I got home from work!”

Holtz examines the box spring, which is leaning against a wall. “The staples look crooked. See how the lining is frayed? I bet they took these support beams off so the opposing beams could bend—like a slinky!”

“Oh yeah,” Erin says, running her hand along the edge. There’s pause before she continues: “Do you think you can you do it again?”

“ _Can I do it again!”_ Holtz repeats sardonically. “Give me one minute, I’ve got my tool belt in the van!”

-

The whole process takes about half an hour. Stripping the lining was actually the hardest part; it’s quite an ordeal to pull the lining off without ripping it more than necessary. Once that’s finished, Holtz just pries the beams apart with a hammer and chisel.

Between the two of them, they get the box spring down the stairwell without much of a problem at all once it’s disassembled.

When they’re on the ground level, they find that their other companions have loaded up the van with pretty much all of the other, larger items. They’ll have to take the couch and the (disassembled) box spring on their second trip, along with a few other odds and ends.

All parties agree that Erin and Kevin should keep as much distance from each other as possible, so Erin takes the Ecto 1.2 with Patty and Abby, and Holtz takes Kevin in the truck.

They beat Holtz and Kevin, and Erin lets them into Holtz’s apartment—her apartment, she realizes with a start—and gets another pot of coffee brewing. They’re going to need it.

“What the hell happened there?” Patty asks.

Erin follows her gaze to the disassembled hutch strewn across the floor. She sighs. “Holtz decided to rebuild the cage so it takes up less room.”

“On the day you’re moving in?” Abby crouches by the travel carrier, where the chinchillas are still housed and making a lot of noise. “Hey, sweeties, how are you?”

“Yeah, don’t ask me what she was thinking. You know Holtz. She doesn’t always make rational decisions when she’s overexcited.” Erin pauses. “I love her anyways, though.”

“Hey,” Abby says, still peering through the door of the carrier, “what’s up with Marie? She’s looking a little droopy.”

“You can tell them apart?”

“Of course. Can’t you?”

“ _Holtz_ can’t even tell them apart. The woman who calls them her children.”

“Okay, well, I can tell them apart, and Marie looks sick.”

“Shoot.” Erin crouches by the carrier as well. “Oh, she does. Oh God. What if one of Holtz’s chinchillas dies on the first day I live here? I’m supposed to be their parent now, too! What if she blames me and asks me to move back out and breaks up with me and—”

“Erin. Whoa. Chill, girl.” Patty comes over and stands behind them. “That won’t happen. Why don’t you take the thing out of the cage and see what its deal is?”

“She’s not an _it_ ,” Erin says indignantly.

“Come on, you just said you can’t tell them apart. You’re gonna get on me for misgendering the rodent?”

“ _It_ isn’t an acceptable pronoun for any gender.”

“Guys. Stop arguing. We might have a real problem here.” Abby has taken Marie out of the cage and is holding the ball of grey fluff carefully.

“Oh God. What do we do? Should we call Holtz?” As if on cue, Erin’s pocket starts ringing. She fishes out her phone to see that it is, in fact, Holtz. Is she psychic? She hits accept. “Hello?”

“Hey. Don’t freak out.”

“How’d you know that I was in the middle of freaking out?”

There’s a pause. “What? You haven’t even heard what I’m about to say. That’s why I said not to freak out. In advance. Why are you _already_ freaking out if I haven’t even said that we were in an accident?”

“Because of Ma— _WHAT?_ ”

“We’re okay! We’re both okay! Parking accident! Nobody’s injured! The back of the van…can’t say the same.”

“Where are you?” Erin’s already halfway out the door, and she can hear Abby and Patty calling after her.

“Downstairs. But don’t—”

“I’m coming down.”

“Erin, no—”

“Please keep talking on the line with me so I don’t freak out.”

“Okay. I’m fine, I promise. So is Kevin. I just backed into a telephone pole when I was trying to parallel park this beast of a vehicle. So, obviously, we’ve got a bit of a problem there.”

“Holtz…”

“I know, I know. But in my defense, Kevin was supposed to be my lookout.”

“No, I’m not chastising, I’m just…you could’ve gotten hurt. For the second time today.” There are tears in Erin’s eyes as the elevator takes her down.

“I’m okay, Erin. I’m totally, 100% fine. I’m mostly just wondering what the hell this means in terms of the rental and stuff. I’m probably going to have to fork over a shit-ton of cash for this.”

“I’m just about there. I’m going to hang up now,” Erin says as she pushes through the front door of the building. There’s the van, and Holtz and Kevin. Erin breaks into a run and envelopes her girlfriend tightly when she gets there.

“Erin,” Holtz squeaks out, “Erin, I’m fine. See? This is getting a bit ridiculous. We can’t keep meeting like this.”

Erin lets her go and steps back, wiping her eyes.

“Shit, are you crying?” Holtz says.

“Yes. You were in a car accident and I hate moving and everything is falling apart and one of the children is sick or something and I’m _scared_ and I hate this. I hate this so much.”

“Wait, what? Back up. One of the kids is sick?”

“Marie.” Erin sniffles. “Abby’s got her. We were just trying to figure out what was going on when you phoned.”

“Are you _sure_ it’s Marie?”

“Well, I don’t know! Abby seems to think so! I can’t tell them apart!” Erin wails.

“If it’s Marie, then we don’t need to be scared. She likes to play sick a lot to get more attention.”

“I thought you couldn’t tell them apart either?”

“Not by sight, but by personality? Absolutely. Abby can tell them apart by sight.”

“Well, you’d better go upstairs and make sure. I’ll stay here and figure out…this.”

“I’ll be back in a jiffy.” Holtz darts forward for a kiss and then disappears, and Erin is left with Kevin and the damaged van.

“Kevin,” Erin says through her teeth, “You’ve nearly killed my girlfriend twice today.”

“I’m sorry, boss. I get my directions mixed up. I thought she was going forwards.”

Erin squints. “From now on, the rest of the day you don’t do _anything_ without someone’s permission and supervision. Got it? Nothing at all.” She doesn’t have the energy to yell at him again.

He nods.

Erin turns her attention to the van. One of the back corners is completely crushed in. Holtz is right, she’s probably going to have to pay a lot for damaging a rented vehicle. Erin shakes that thought from her mind. That’s a problem for later. Right now, though, something occurs to her. Experimentally, she unlatches the back and tries to pull the door up—and it doesn’t budge. The frame of the back has been dented so badly that it’s warped and they won’t be able to move the door. Now what? How are they supposed to get her stuff out of the back?

She’s beginning to think this day is cursed.

-

Upstairs, Holtz retrieves Marie from Abby’s hand. “How is she?” Holtz asks, holding the chinchilla up close to get a good look.

“I don’t know, Holtz, she doesn’t look well,” Abby says, worrying her brow.

“Patty, could you be a doll and pass me some chin pellets?”

“What?”

“The mouse food,” Abby clarifies.

“Um, excuse me, Marie is a _chinchilla._ But yes, the mouse food. It’s in the cupboard beside the fridge, Patty.”

“Alright baby, Patty’s gotcha.” She finds a few pellets, and passes them to Holtz. Holtz holds one directly in front of Marie’s face, even pushing it against Marie’s nose a little.

Marie is not interested at all. Holtz feels a faint concern garble uncomfortably in the pit of her stomach. She tries to feed the chinchilla for a few more minutes, but nothing changes.

“Abby, could you hold her for a minute?”

“Sure, Holtz,” Abby replies, voice gentle.

Holtz walks around to examine the chicken wire and pine travel case where the others are still held. She makes sure there’s no plastic or other inedibles in the cage. It’s clear, so she takes a walk around the perimeter of, nearly tripping over the rubber mallet she used to disassemble their previous residence. She realizes that she left it a little too close to the cage and picks it up to examine the head. She misses it at first glance, but on her second look she can see a few small nibble marks along the face.

“ _Shit,_ she chewed my hammer.”

“Can’t those things eat anything?” Patty asks bluntly.

“Well they _will_ eat anything, but it doesn’t mean they should. She could have a blockage. I’m going to give her a belly rub.” Holtz gently lifts Marie from Abby’s gentle grasp and sinks down to the floor to get to work. “Abby, do you remember how to make the liquid food?”

“Yes,” Abby says confidently.

“Great. There’s some in the same cupboard where I keep the pellets. Can you mix some up for me, please?” Abby nods, and Holtz turns her attention toward Patty. “Peppermint Patty, can you please go grab my heating pad out of the closet in the bathroom?”

Patty claps her hands in the affirmative. “I gotchu, boo.”

Erin appears a moment later and looks around the apartment. “How is she?”

“She ate something she shouldn’t have. I’m going to see if I can get her to pass it on her own before I take her to the vet. It hasn’t been too long, so she’s not in any danger right now.”

“Is there anything I can do?” Erin asks. Holtz shakes her head no.

“I think we got it covered, Er-bear. Thank you, though.”

Erin looks worried, but nods with confidence. Holtz watches as Erin rushes by Abby in the kitchen and retrieves powdered sugar, granulated sugar, some twine, some oil, a whole box of matches, some balloons, and a plastic turkey baster.

“Uh, Erin? Whatcha doing?” Holtz asks, still massaging Marie. Patty has returned and is searching for an outlet to plug the heating pack into. Abby’s got the blender running and is searching the fork and knife drawer; Holtz guesses she’s looking for a syringe.

“Well, the door on the van is stuck—”

Holtz feels the colour drain from her face.

“But it’s okay!” Erin assures over her armful of materials. “I’m gonna fix it: Holtzmann style.”

Holtz feels a smile tug at the corner of her mouth. “ _Awesome.”_ She pauses for a moment and watches as Erin makes her way back to the door. “Wait! Wear my goggles! If you’re doing anything Holtzmann style, you need the proper equipment.”

“Right.” Erin agrees. She puts her armful down, and walks over to pluck Holtz’s goggles off the top of her head where they sit. Holtz can feel Erin’s hand linger there for a beat or two, then Erin kisses the very crown of Holtz’s head. “Good luck with Marie.” Erin says softly into Holtz’s hair.

Holtz is really smiling now, hands working nimbly still. “Good luck with the truck. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!”

Erin steps away, so Holtz can see her again. Erin is grinning wickedly. “I can’t make any promises!”

Holtz watches from her spot on the floor as Erin transfers all of the materials into a reusable grocery bag and slings it over her shoulder. She even does her best impression of Holtz’s trademark two-fingered salute before retreating down the hall.

Holtz smiles warmly, then shakes her head a little to refocus on her task.

“Okay, Patty. Let’s get that heating pack over here. Abby, is that syringe ready?”

-

Erin returns to the busted van with her arms full to find Kevin standing exactly where she left him, much to her relief. She sets down all her supplies and surveys them. She doesn’t have an actual plan in mind. Unlike Holtz, who knows what she’s doing, Erin doesn’t have a clue. She’s just going to channel her inner Holtzmann and hope for the best. Generally speaking, her plan is to create a small to medium sized poof in the hopes that it will…well, she’s not actually sure what it might do, short of potentially lighting all her belongings on fire. But she’s got to try.

She takes a balloon and instructs Kevin to hold it, and fills the inside with some oil using the turkey baster. Then, she dusts the outside of the balloon in powdered sugar, which she knows is flammable. Then she places the whole contraption on the corner where the metal is bashed in and uses the twine to semi-station it in place. Finally, she runs a line of twine from the balloon to the ground in front of her, so she can light it without getting too close.

She instructs Kevin to stand way back, pulls Holtz’s goggles down over her eyes, and strikes a match. Sending up a little prayer to the gods of physics, she holds the match to the twine and then runs backwards.

She watches the flame travel up the line in the direction of the balloon, and suddenly regrets taking measures into her own hands. Why did she think this was a good idea?

Then the flame hits the balloon, and the whole thing ignites in a large fireball. Erin yelps and stumbles backwards further, even though she’s plenty far away.

“Did you mean to do that?” Kevin asks.

“I don’t know _what_ I meant to do! Now what! The truck is on fire!” Erin is panicking, and she’s panicking hard.

“Did ya try a crowbar?”

Erin spins around at the sound of Holtz’s voice. She’s standing there with a crowbar slung over her shoulder, a fire extinguisher tucked under her arm, and an easy smirk on her face.

“Holtz!”

“That’s what they call me.” She strides forward, dropping the crowbar on the ground with a clang and lifting the extinguisher. She releases a stream at the back of the truck. “They also call me ‘always prepared.’ Lucky for you, I have extinguishers for every class of fire. Class F? Check aaannnd mate.”

“How did you know—”

“Babe, you left with an armful of flammable materials and said you were gonna fix it Holtzmann style. How could I _not_ know what you were planning on doing?”

Erin pouts as the flames are smothered. “I didn’t think of a crowbar. At all. Why did I think lighting it on fire would help?”

Holtz shrugs. “Were you thinking that the metal would be easier to move if it was heated?”

Erin hesitates. “Sure.”

Holtz chuckles.

Something occurs to Erin. “Marie! How is she?”

Holtz turns to her with a grin. “She’s gonna be just fine. It’s a good thing Abby noticed when she did!”

Erin feels herself relax in relief. “Oh, thank goodness.”

Holtz sets the extinguisher down and picks up the crowbar. “Let’s see what we’re working with.”

She manages to get the corner bent back into place with ease, and pulls the door up with a triumphant whoop. Erin is relieved to see that all her belongings are unscathed from the fire incident.

They call down Patty (Abby stays up with still-recovering Marie) and the four of them start unloading the truck. They manage to get a solid procession of boxes going up to the apartment, then the smaller furniture, then the mattress (which mercifully goes up easily). They move Holtz’s mattress out into the living area and lean it against the wall. Holtz wants to salvage parts from it before taking it to the dump. Erin’s not exactly sure when that’ll happen, and in the meantime it’s slightly in the way—but she’s not about to argue. Once that’s done, Holtz takes Kevin to go pick up the box spring, couch, and remaining few items while Erin, Patty, and Abby start unpacking (or at least organizing boxes into rooms).

Erin is moving a box into the kitchen when her phone rings.

“Hello?”

“Hey. So. Don’t panic.”

“ _Holtzmann._ ”

“Shh, shh, no. We have a little problem. Your couch…is no longer here.”

“ _What?_ ”

“The couch? The one we left outside your building? No longer here. Most likely stolen. Although, I must say, it does require a lot of dedication to steal a couch. Colour me impressed.”

Erin’s hand goes to her temple. “Fuck.”

“Erin! Such potty mouth. Anyway…there’s nothing we can really do except load the rest of this stuff up and come back.”

Erin groans. “Okay. Thanks for letting me know. I’ll see you later…and be safe, please.”

“Righty-o!”

Erin hangs up. “There’s a bottle of wine in the box marked ‘food.’ First one to find it gets my undying gratitude,” she announces with a long sigh, then gets back to work.

-

Holtz gets back later than expected—about two _hours_ later, and the sun is almost gone. So is most of Erin’s wine. There wasn’t as much of a surplus as Erin might’ve wished, especially after rationing it amongst the three of them. At least she’s feeling much more relaxed about everything as a result.

Between Abby, Patty, and Erin, pretty much everything is organized and stacked. They’ve already started unpacking the kitchen stuff between (conservative) sips of wine.

Holtz appears in the doorway, biting her lip and looking a little unsure. All Erin feels is relief. She rushes over and hugs Holtz. “There you are! Where have you been?” Erin pushes away and looks around a little. “Where’s Kevin?”

“Kev volunteered to stay back and clean your old place!” Holtz announces proudly. Erin suspects maybe volun- _told_ by Holtz might be more accurate. Erin watches as Holtz’s eyes search, maybe even _assess,_ the apartment briefly before she speaks again. “Abs?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you mind picking him up on your way home? Erin’s old landlord says he wants us out with the key in the mailbox by seven tonight. I _definitely_ don’t trust him to remember that on his own, and I’d go myself, but I don’t really want to run up anymore miles on the van.”

“No problem, Holtz.”

“You’re not staying for New Years, Abby?” Erin asks. She didn’t officially invite Abby and Patty over for celebrations, but assumed they might stay anyway.

Abby laughs. “I love you both very much, but once I’m done here, I’m taking a long hot bath and staying in bed until Tuesday morning.”

Erin’s face falls. “Patty?”

“Sorry baby, Patty’s got big plans. I’ve got tickets to the casino and I’m gonna hit the jackpot tonight, I can feel it!” She claps her hands together with confidence. Then Patty’s face shifts. “Oh damn, what time is it anyway?” She shakes her watch out from under her sleeve. “Oh shit. It’s gettin _late_. I gotta go, girls.”

Abby hums in agreement. “Yeah that’s not a bad idea. It’s almost 5:30.”

“Wait!” Holtz shouts, lunging past Erin to block the doorway, even though neither Abby nor Patty has moved. “Before you two leave, can you help me with the last few things in the truck? Ten minutes, tops.”

“Oh yeah!” Erin agrees. “Lets all go!”

“No!” Holtz shouts again, turning on her heel to face Erin. “You should stay here and uh…clear some space!”

“But there’s already lots—”

“Erin. Baby, just stay here for a sec, ‘kay?”

Erin tilts her head suspiciously. “What did you do?”

“ _Nothing_!” Holtz replies too quickly. “Just um. Just trust me, okay?”

Erin huffs a little, crossing her arms, but resigns. It won’t be long until she finds out, anyway.

The three shuffle down the hall: Patty and Abby grumbling a little about agreeing to help in the first place.

A few minutes pass, and suddenly Erin hears a lot of shifting, bumping, and a few muffled curses through the closed door.

“Erin, can you do me a solid and close your eyes really quick?” Holtz calls from the hall.

“Seriously, Holtz?”

“This is the last surprise this year, baby. I promise! Please?”

Erin sighs heavily and covers her eyes half-heartedly with one hand.

“Okay fine. My eyes are covered.”

“Are you sure?”

“Holtzmann, I’m _so_ tired.”

“Okay, okay! We’re coming!”

Erin can hear the door swing open and crash against the wall behind it. Erin winces a little and hears Holtz curse. She hears more shifting, then nothing.

“Holtz?”

“Open your eyes!” the engineer declares.

When Erin does, her mouth drops open in shock.

“You bought me a new couch?” She’s flabbergasted. They’ve already spent _so much_ on Christmas, now this? It’s too much. She’s just about to say so when Holtz cuts in.

“Actually, I _didn’t.”_

Erin feels a little relieved. She really appreciates such gestures, but Erin Gilbert is nothing if not practical. The couch is obviously designer. It’s a rich aubergine with a velvet upholstery, the accent pillows are a burnt orange and olive green. If it’s used, Erin can’t tell. It’s in excellent condition with no visible damage or flaws.

“Well where did it come from, then?”

“My storage unit! I’ve had this for _years_ …thought now was as good as time as any to break it out.” Holtz pauses. “Do you like it? I know the colour is a little different—”

Erin doesn’t let her finish. “Holtz, I love it!” She walks over and kisses Holtz on the cheek. “You have _excellent_ taste, love.”

“You’re living proof,” Holtz answers with a wink.

Erin can’t help but giggle a little at that. She kisses her again, this time on the lips, and Abby has to clear her throat to refocus them.

“Sorry Abby,” Erin says, even though she’s not really sorry at all. “Where’s Patty?”

“Right!” Holtz says. “PATTY!” she hollers down the hall.

It’s not long before Patty backs into the apartment from the hall dragging something behind her and muttering grumpily under her breath. “...too old for this shit.” Patty trails off and turns around to present her cargo. “Alright love birds, here it is!” Patty splays her arms out for effect. “You owe me big time for lugging this thing up all by myself; the two of you!” She points accusingly at Erin at Holtz. “You’ll be paying for Patty’s lunches for the next month and half _at least_.”

“Thanks Patty! We love you!” Holtz says brightly. Patty wipes her nose to hide her smile.

“Ah, who am I kidding? You skinny ass bitches didn’t have a chance with this chair. It’s a lot heavier than it looks.”

Erin’s mouth is agape again. Patty brought up a matching arm chair with the same rich velvet texture as the couch, but in a striking burnt orange like the accent pillows. It has its own accent pillow in purple to match the couch. It’s obvious to Erin the two were purchased as a matched set.

“Wow, I can’t believe you were keeping these gorgeous pieces in storage, Holtz! They’re amazing! We should repaint the walls and trim to match them better! And maybe in the kitchen we can—”

“Erin, I love that enthusiasm, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”

Erin surveys the living room/kitchen area. The chinchillas’ cage is still in shambles. Holtz’s old bed is taking up an entire wall. Boxes are tucked into every nook and cranny, and the chair and couch are sitting directly in front of their door, barely past the door jam.

“Yeah. Yeah, you’re right. We’ve got a lot of work to do first.”

“Well!” Patty says. “I think I have contributed enough today! I’ve got at least ninety minutes of work to do here,” she gestures widely at her face and continues, “before I can get anywhere near that casino. Happy New Years you crazy kids!”

“Patty, I’ll take you.” Abby offers, reaching in her purse and pulling the keys for the Ecto shortly after. She slides past the couch to join Patty in the hall. “Night Erin! Night Holtz! Good luck with…all this.” And she slips out of view.

“Brunch tomorrow?” Erin calls in their general direction before they’re too far away.

“Yup!” Abby hollers back quickly and simply.

“You’re buying my mimosas, Holtzy!” Patty confirms.

Erin looks and Holtz and Holtz looks at Erin. Then the two look at the apartment.

“Champagne?” Holtz asks.

“Champagne,” Erin answers.

-

After dragging the couch further into the apartment, the two of them collapse onto it and pass the bottle of champagne back and forth between them like the classy folks they are.

“This is a very nice couch,” Erin says.

Holtz looks sideways at her. “Yours was nice, too. I’m sorry it got stolen. We had some good memories on that couch.”

Erin sighs. “Oh well. To new beginnings and new couches.” She raises the bottle.

Holtz snorts. “I think you gotta wait until midnight for the toasts, babe.”

“I keep forgetting it’s New Years Eve. Why did I think moving today was a good idea? We should’ve done it yesterday.”

Holtz hums. “Probably. But look, we did it!”

“There’s still _so much_ to unpack!”

“We don’t have to do it tonight. We can do it next year.” Holtz winks.

“Okay, but the cage _does_ need to be done tonight. The babies are probably getting unhappy about being in the travel crate all day.”

“You’re right. Gimme five minutes and then I’ll get to work on that. We could take them out for a bit and—”

“Lose them? Come on, Holtz. This apartment is a death trap right now, even for humans.”

Holtz sighs. “You’re right, as always. That’s why I didn’t have any furniture in here, before, you know? So they could roam out of the cage and I didn’t have to worry about them. I might have to—hmmm.” Holtz breaks off and looks up at the ceiling.

“What are you thinking?”

“I’m not sure. I’m trying to think of space-saving designs that still give them lots of room. Do you think I could build a cage that goes overhead? I wonder if—” Her mind is picking up speed, now, mapping out the layout of the room.

She takes one more swig of champagne and then leaves the bottle with Erin. She gathers up the offending mallet and sets to work.

She quickly makes the decision to only get the cage back together and then modify it at a later date when the apartment is less chaotic. Soon, the hutch is connected back together and the children are spread out happily. Marie looks no worse for wear from her mishap earlier. She makes sure they all get a treat for their patience all day.

She stands back and surveys her handiwork, then goes and hunts down Erin. She’s in the bedroom, staring down at the still-disassembled box spring.

“Can you fix this next?”

“On it.”

Holtz gets that put together again, and the two of them heave the mattress on top of it.

“We have a bed!” Erin flops down onto it.

Holtz joins her. “That’s all we need.”

Erin gives her a shove. “I dunno, I might need some food.”

“I’m starving,” Holtz agrees. “Should we go eat? There’s those leftovers from the other night in the fridge.”

“Ready-to-eat food? Sounds perfect.”

After they eat, they pick away at some more boxes, trying to get as much stuff put away as possible. Erin hangs her remaining clothes in the closet and makes the bed with the quilt Holtz got her for Christmas. Watching it all unfold is giving Holtz the happiest little butterflies.

Erin must feel Holtz watching her, because she turns around. “What?”

“This is so _real_ , you know? You’re here. You live here. You’re staying here.”

Erin crosses the room with a smile. “Forever, or at least until we outgrow this apartment.”

“I’m really happy.” Holtz takes Erin by the waist.

Erin leans in to kiss her forehead. “I’m really happy too, Holtz.”

“Whaddya say we call it quits for tonight and get our New Years Eve on?”

“I say that sounds like a great idea.”

They grab the champagne bottle and some snacks and curl up on the bed.

“It seems like such a shame to not be out on the couch,” Erin comments. “Are we going to move the TV out there now that there’s actual furniture in the living room?”

“Sure. Not tonight, though. Trying to get the cable all hooked up is not something I want to deal with just yet.”

“Of course. I was just wondering.”

They turn on the Times Square coverage for a bit, but quickly get bored. “Who are _any_ of these artists? Is this what the kids are listening to these days?” Holtz says.

Erin laughs. “You sound like such a grandma.”

“Me? You’re like, a decade older than me!” Holtz scoffs.

“A de—I am _not_ a decade older than you! How old do you think I _am_ , Holtz?”

Holtz shrugs. “I don’t think any of us really know how old you are.”

“You are ridiculous.”

“Okay, grandma.”

“ _You’re_ the grandma! At least I know who—” Erin squints at the TV— “Fergie is.”

“What? The terrifying furry things? Are they performing?” Holtz nearly bolts off the bed.

“ _Fergie,_ Holtz. Not Furby.” A pause. “But yeah, those things are terrifying.”

“Can we watch something else?”

Erin nods and flicks through the channels before landing on some sort of movie. They watch in companionable silence, with their hands clasped on the bed between them. Holtz is absentmindedly rubbing her thumb on Erin’s hand and digging into a bag of chips with her other hand.

“Can you pass me the champagne, babe?” she says.

Silence.

“Babe?” Holtz looks over at Erin, and a smile spreads across her face when she realizes that her girlfriend is fast asleep. She chuckles and turns her attention back to the movie.

At five to midnight, she gently jostles her awake. “Erin? You gotta wake up. I’m not gonna pull a creepy Prince Charming at midnight.” She hesitates. “Is that who kisses Sleeping Beauty awake? I’ve never been a fan of princess movies.”

“Wh-time isit?” Erin slurs, rubbing at her eyes.

“Just about midnight. You have to wake up long enough to celebrate, then we can sleep. Kay?”

“M’awake.” She struggles to sit more upright. “How long’ve I been asleep?”

“An hour? Two? I can’t remember. The movie ended a long time ago.”

“Wasn’t watching it anyway.”

“Clearly,” Holtz teases. “We gonna watch the ball drop?”

“I’dun have balls.” Erin’s eyelids droop.

Holtz pokes her in the side. “Funny. Stay awake, love. Let’s get on our feet so there’s no temptation to fall back asleep, okay?”

She pulls Erin up and off the bed so they’re both standing in front of the TV. Holtz changes the channel back. Erin is leaning on her a little bit. She yawns loudly.

“I love you, Holtz,” she says into Holtz’s hair. Her voice is a bit muffled.

Holtz’s arm is sturdy around Erin’s waist. “I love you too, Erin.”

“No, really.” Erin stands more upright, sounding definitely awake. “I love you. So much. This year had a lot of good things—reuniting with Abby, meeting Patty and Kev, saving the city—but meeting you was the best part of it all. Hands down. Don’t tell the others I said that.”

Holtz feels herself getting choked up. “You were the best part of my year, too.”

“Just think—we’re going to get all of 2017 together. Not just a few months.”

“What are we waiting for, then? Let’s get this puppy started.”

The countdown has started in at 30 seconds.

“Do you have any resolutions?” Holtz asks.

“To let you be the one who fixes things. I learned my lesson with the fire today.”

Holtz laughs.

“You?” Erin adds.

Holtz hushes her and points at the screen, which is down to 11.

“10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4—” They both turn to look at each other simultaneously as they chant. Holtz’s lips curl up in a smile. “—3, 2, 1!”

“Happy New Year,” Erin whispers.

Holtz reaches up to stroke her thumb along Erin’s cheek, and leans in to kiss her softly. She pulls away just far enough to be able to see Erin. “Happy New Year.”

“The year feels pretty great so far.”

“Best one yet, I’d say.” Holtz leans back in to kiss her girlfriend again. Oh, yes. She can’t wait to see what the year is going to bring.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year! May your 2017 be full of amazing things. See you next time! 
> 
> xo Maddie and Jillian

**Author's Note:**

> Come follow us on Tumblr at [lil-peanutt](http://lil-peanutt.tumblr.com) and [holtzmannerin](http://holtzmannerin.tumblr.com)!


End file.
